Dragon Soul: The Dragon King
by vIoLeT bUtTeRfLy 90
Summary: He was a king lost in the darkness that was looking for his light. After 2000 years of no emotion and unable to see in colors, the once barren world was no more thanks to one boy. But just as the light of his soul returns, so does the evil that he and his comrades once fought to save world. Puzzleshipping. Yaoi. Some het. Mentions of other het couples. Violence. IN PROGRESS.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer:** I don't own the Yugioh characters.

* * *

He stood on the balcony in his room, looking at the night time sky. The war was over and there was nothing left for him on this world. He and his comrades had done everything they could for their people and now it was up to them to figure out what to do from here. The world was now a gray and dull, lifeless in his eyes. He couldn't feel emotions, he couldn't even see in color anymore. But he was the king of their people, the Dragons. His comrades were now living by themselves or with their remaining family members. Even those with no family left lived with each other, but he knew it was one of the few they could keep their sanity in this endless life.

Yami couldn't count how many times he'd wished for death. How much longer did he have to live in this world? Two thousand years and counting. That was a long time to live and an even longer time to be alone. Yet he here was, living in a mansion in the city of Domino. Long forgotten were the old traditions that Yami had grown up with and now the modern world of technology was in. His comrades, the Kaiba family, had made a name for themselves in the technology world and were now one of the richest families in the world. How they managed to keep people from finding out their immortality was unknown to him.

Then again, they were the only people that Yami kept in touch with. The last time he'd heard from Bakura and Marik, they were living in Egypt in the ruins of what was once the great Dragon Kingdom. He knew if he could feel emotions, his heart would be heavy with sorrow for those two especially. They had been closer to the darkness than any of them.

Then there was Shadi, always a man of mystery and never let anyone get too close him. He appeared randomly from time to time, but never stayed around for more than twenty-four hours. His other comrade, Duke Devlin, had also made a name for himself in the gaming world with his Dungeon Dice Monsters game. Like Shadi, he lived alone and rarely made contact with any of them, but every other decade or so, he would make sure to keep them updated on him. Last, but most certainly not least, there was Mahad. He was Yami's childhood friend and right hand man for a long time. Though he lived alone, he made sure to contact Yami once a year to check up on him.

But it was always the same for all of them, empty. Yami figured this is what happens when one gives up their light in their souls to save the world. Living in darkness everyday was the reward he and his comrades received.

He jumped off the balcony, landing gracefully on the ground and walked towards the city. Many people were walking the streets this evening, laughing with their friends and family, and enjoying life. How he wished he could do the same. He hated how many people these days were taking their lives for granted. None of them knew what their ancestors went through thousands of years ago to keep this world safe from the darkness.

"Yami…," a voice called out to him.

He turned around, seeing Mokuba Kaiba standing behind him along with his brother Noah. "Mokuba, Noah, it's been a long time since I've last seen you," he greeted.

Despite having lost their emotions, Mokuba still gave him a smile. "It's good to see you too," he said. "What are you doing wandering the streets?"

"I…don't know exactly," he answered. "I needed to get out for a while. And what are you two doing here?"

Noah looked bored, nudging his brother. "This one has decided that he and I will attend college this year. Even though we don't really need to."

"We need to learn how to blend in more with the humans," Mokuba scoffed at his brother with anger that he couldn't even feel. "Why don't we go to the café and talk about this where there aren't so many people around us."

* * *

"Here ya go, Yugi," Tristan said as he gave his friend a bag of food and a cup of hot chocolate. "Make sure you and your grandpa eat, and be careful on your way home. Do you want me to get off early? It's getting awful dark out there…"

Yugi smiled at his friend. "Don't worry about me," he assured. "I'll be fine. I'm used to walking home in the dark. Don't worry."

Tristan frowned, obviously not comfortable with his little friend walking home alone. "Try calling Joey, Malik, or Ryou. Maybe one of them can pick you up. Or hell, call Valon or Alister. One of them should be off work by now. I don't like the idea of you walking alone."

"But it's only fift-" Yugi started.

"I don't care if it's only fifteen blocks away!" Tristan interrupted, covering his ears. "I'm not listening. Call someone and tell them to drive over here and pick you. I need to go take these people's orders. By the time I get back, someone better be on the way, got it?"

"Got it," Yugi laughed, pulling out his phone to call Joey. Luckily for him, Joey answered.

"Hey, Yugi, what's up?" he asked.

"Nothing, Joey. I'm at the Tristan's job. Do you think you can drop me off at home? Tristan is worried I'll get kidnapped or something if I walk home," he said.

Joey chuckled. "Sure, I'll be there in a few minutes. Tell that punk to make me some hot cocoa. And to put extra whipped cream on top."

"Alright, see ya soon," he said, hanging up the phone and saw Tristan mixing coffee. "Joey is on his way. And he said to make him a hot chocolate with extra whipped cream on top."

"Yeah, whatever," Tristan mumbled as he worked. "I'll make his damn drink once I finish these three."

* * *

"This is your idea of a not so many people?" Yami asked. They were at a café that wasn't so full of people, but enough to put Yami on edge.

"It's not that bad," Mokuba said. "Plus, I know the guy that works here. He's pretty cool. It's…interesting to see him and his friends together."

"Alright, here you go," Tristan said, handing them their drinks. "Will that be all for you?"

All three of them shook their heads. "We're good, thanks, Tristan," Mokuba said.

"Okay, shout if you need anything," he said, walking away.

"That's the man you know?" he asked the younger boy. "What makes him and his friends interesting? They don't look like anything special." He looked at the young man, seeing him talk to someone sitting near the counter. He couldn't see the person since they had a hood over their head, but he could tell it was a young boy by the way he was shaped.

Mokuba shrugged, taking a sip of his coffee. "Usually whenever he works, his friends are here. I guess they're busy tonight. They're amusing to watch. Especially Joey and Mai when they start arguing. Valon sometimes joins in while Téa, Ryou, and Yugi try to calm them down. You know, you should meet Yugi, Ryou, and Malik one day. Surprisingly, they look like you, Bakura, and Marik. Only they look more innocent. Right, Noah?"

The other boy shrugged, looking bored as he drank his coffee. "I never bothered to pay attention to them that much. But they do bear a striking resemblance to you and those sadistic men."

Yami knew if he had emotions, he would've chuckled at that. But it had been about two thousand years since he last felt emotion. A dragon, if they didn't find their mate, lost their emotions and sight of colors after a hundred years of life. Only finding their true soul mate would bring them back their emotions and color for their eyes. Though Yami and a few of his comrades had lost those abilities a lot sooner than that. For some dragons, like Mokuba and Noah, it could take longer for emotions to disappear. They had barely lost that ability a century or two ago. "So, why are you two going to school? It's not like you need the education."

"Trying to blend in with the real world," Mokuba replied. "I'm…bored with just sitting around. At least if we go to a school, we might get to see things that are interesting. Set and Seto are okay with us going."

"I see…," Yami mused. "I guess even after so many years, something can always surprise you."

"Why don't you come with us?" Mokuba suggested. "If anything, it'll be interesting to see what people do in the modern world. Considering you've been hidden away for how long, two thousand years?"

To anyone who heard them, they probably thought they were joking around. Though it was true, the last time Yami had any real contact with the outside world was two thousand years ago, after the war… "Why would I want to go to school when I know everything?"

"Again, to be amused by the antics of people today," Mokuba said. "Tristan and his friends are going to the same school we're going to. And who knows, maybe you'll get lucky and find your soul mate."

"My soul is too damaged to have a soul mate," he said. "You know that I gave away my light to…"

"We know that, but you have to get out once in a while, pharaoh," Mokuba said. "Do you plan to spend the rest of your days locked in your home?"

The pharaoh sighed, wishing he could at least feel annoyance. He didn't see the point in being with the world. If he were to meet anyone, they would be gone in only a matter of years. Humans were so frail and their lifespans were short compared to his immortality. He didn't want to see someone he cared about die from old age. He already lost his family and one of his dearest friends from the war. To this day, his friend's death still haunted him and he still saw the memories. "There's no point in befriending humans when their lives are so short. I don't see how me going to a school will do anything except show me how I don't have emotions."

Mokuba was about to reply when he heard his phone ring, seeing Seto's name on the screen. "What is it, big brother?"

"Where are you and Noah?" his brother asked. "You two were supposed to be home by now. Did you register for school?"

"Yes, we did," he replied, taking a sip of his coffee. "We ran into Yami, surprisingly, and we're at the café right now."

"Hn, so he finally came out of his cave," Seto mused. "Get home soon. No arguments." He hung up the phone before his younger brother could say anything.

Mokuba sighed as he hung up. "Looks like me and Noah have to go. Or Seto will lecture us again."

"Still treats you two like your babies…," Yami stated. He remembered Set and Seto always fretting over the two little ones during the war since the two of them weren't even ten years old when it happened.

"Well, I guess we'll see you…whenever we see you," Mokuba said, standing up with Noah. "Well, if you ever want to call, here's my number…school also starts next week. If you're interested, that is."

"I'll _consider_ it," he stated, making sure Mokuba knew there was no guarantees. Why would he go to a school when he knew everything there was about the world? Nothing had really changed from what he could see. The only thing that changed was technology, but humans were the same as they'd always been. He nodded his goodbye to them, watching them leave.

"Aw, damn it, not again!" he heard a voice complain. He turned to see where it came from, seeing the young man, Tristan, groaning. "Why are you so good?" He was talking to the small boy sitting by the counter.

"I'm the king," the hooded figure laughed. "And it helps that my grandfather owns a game shop."

Yami walked towards them, seeing them play a game that looked a lot like…the spirits of monsters that were once sealed in stone tablets back then in ancient Egypt. "Excuse me, but what are you playing?" he asked.

"You don't know about Duel Monsters? Where have you been living in, under a rock?" he asked the man.

"Something like that…," Yami said quietly.

Tristan snorted. "Well, Yugi, explain it to him. I need make Joey's hot chocolate before he comes in here and whines."

Yugi laughed then turned to the young man who was now sitting next to him. Needless to say, he was a little stunned when he saw that the man looked like him, almost like they could be twins. Only the man seemed more mature, taller, had more muscle, and had dark ruby red eyes. Plus, the look in his eyes…Yugi could see there was pain in them. Though the man's face remained stoic. "I'm Yugi," he introduced himself. "And you are…?"

"Yami," he replied, looking at the boy. "You're a friend of Mokuba, are you not?"

"Yes, well, more like…acquaintances," Yugi answered. "I've only known him for a short period of time, but he seems like a nice guy."

Yami couldn't help but stare at the boy. How did he know that the boy had amethyst colored eyes? Or that the boy had blonde hair framing his face? And more importantly…why did he _feel_ confused about this? It was startling how he was suddenly seeing color everywhere. He started feeling dizzy from seeing and feeling everything at once.

"Are you okay?" Yugi asked, seeing the man slump forward a little like he was sick. "You're not sick, are you?"

The pharaoh couldn't answer him, closing his eyes to regain his composure. "I'm fine. I just…"

"Do you want me to call someone?" the younger boy asked in concern. "Tristan, is Joey on his way? Maybe he can take Yami home too?"

"Depends if his dad is gonna let him out for that long," Tristan sighed. "You know how his old man is…"

"I'm fine," Yami told them. "I just…I'll be going now." He got up and left before any of the boys could say anything. As soon as he was outside, he rested against the wall to try and compose himself. Why was he able to see colors now? The sky was dark now with hues of blue and violet along with the white-silver stars adorning it. He looked back inside at the boy, Yugi. Why did this boy make him feel emotions and see color? Could he be…?

* * *

"Hey, Joey just texted me. He's here," Yugi told his friend and put all his stuff in his backpack. "I'll see you later, Tristan!"

"Hold on!" Tristan called after him then handed him a cup. "Here's Joey's hot chocolate with extra whipped cream. Tell that punk he owes me money next time I see him."

Yugi laughed, nodding. "Okay, see ya!" He walked out of the café, not seeing the man standing by the door and got in the car. "Thanks for picking me up, Joey. Tristan was gonna chew me out if I tried to walk by myself. Oh! And here's your hot chocolate. Tristan said he put extra whipped cream and that you owe him money next time you see each other."

Joey snorted as he took a sip and drove off. "He can keep wishing about getting his money. I probably owe him more than a thousand dollars from just him making this alone. And I would've chewed you out too for walking home alone at this time. Been really crazy around this part of Domino lately. Don't need to find out that you've been killed and thrown in a ditch just because you thought you can walk alone."

"How's your sister?" Yugi asked.

The older boy shrugged. "Okay, I guess," Joey replied. "Her eyesight is starting to get worst. Doctor said that surgery can fix it, but…"

"The cost, right?" Yugi asked. "Those surgeries cost a lot, don't they?"

"Yeah, and with our old man drinking half of our paychecks every time we get paid, rent, food, and gas, we don't have enough to spare for it. And let's not even get started on school!" Joey told him. "I might have to quit school and get another job."

"But Joey, you already have two jobs!" Yugi exclaimed. "If you get a third, you'll work yourself into the ground. We all know you've hardly been eating. You've gotten thin. When was the last time you ate?"

Joey shrugged, taking another sip of his hot chocolate. "Not sure, been running on adrenaline and water for the past three days. I've been working extra hours at the bar. Been making some nice tips."

"Here," Yugi said, handing him a sandwich from his bag. "Eat this on your way back or whenever, but please eat it! Promise?"

The blonde boy laughed, nodding. "Sure, Yugi. I'll eat it on my way back home," he promised, stopping the car as he approached Yugi's house. "Thanks a lot, buddy."

"You're welcome," Yugi said politely. "And thank you for driving me home. Do you work tomorrow?"

"Nah, surprisingly me and Serenity are off tomorrow," he answered.

"Well, how about we all get together at my house? We can play games, watch movies, and just hang out?" Yugi suggested. "We haven't had a day like in a long time and Grandpa really misses seeing all of you. Said the shop feels empty without two or three of us there and causing a ruckus. Especially you and Tristan yelling at each other when you play Duel Monsters. Or whenever you and Mai argue."

"Seems like I'm always yelling at someone," Joey laughed. "But that sounds like a good idea. See if everyone isn't busy tomorrow. Either way, me and Serenity will stop by."

"Alright, see ya tomorrow!" Yugi said as he got out of the car and walked inside his home. "I'm back, Grandpa!"

His grandfather looked up from sweeping the floor and smiled warmly. "Did Tristan give you a hard time about walking back alone in the dark again?"

Yugi nodded as he pulled his jacket off and tossed it on the counter. "Yeah, but luckily Joey wasn't working yet and he dropped me off. He said it's been really crazy around this part of town lately. Have you heard anything on the news?"

"It has been a little rough around here," his grandpa replied. "I guess I can agree with the two of them about you walking home alone in the dark. It isn't safe."

"But Tristan does it all the time," Yugi sighed. "How come it's okay for him?"

The old man laughed. "That's because Tristan knows how to fight and take care of himself. I don't have to worry about him, Joey, Valon, Alister, and Malik. Even though Malik is not that much taller and bigger than you, but he's more…"

"Sadistic?" Yugi offered.

"Dirty," Solomon said. "You said he used whatever he could get his hands on whenever he fought those bullies at school."

The two of them continued their conversation as they ate. After that, both of them cleaned up and closed the shop. Solomon went to the back room, which was the living room and watched TV while Yugi cleaned the kitchen and washed the dishes.

Neither of them realized the whole time, they were being watched by dark ruby red eyes. Even after they went to their rooms for the night, those eyes continued to watch the young boy as he opened the window and read a book.

* * *

Yugi was reading his book about ancient Egypt and all of the myths from long ago. His grandfather had raised him on these books and he loved reading about the dragon myths. He would love to listen to his grandpa tell him the story of Pharaoh Yami and his dragon warriors. It was one of his favorite stories and he'd found and read every book he could of this story. This was his favorite myth and he loved to read everything about it.

Now that he thought about…every picture he saw of the hieroglyphics of Yami…he almost looked like Yugi. And now, he remembered the man he'd met earlier at the café, Mokuba's friend, Yami. And since he also looked like Yugi, that meant he looked and had the same name as…

_That's silly, Yugi. It's not the pharaoh in the stories. These are just myths that people made up of the real Pharaoh Yami and his warriors. Even archaeologists agree that they're myths and that there's no proof of dragons ever existing in the world. It's all made up._ He told himself. _Someone else out there in the world is probably a big fan of these myths like you and probably named Mokuba's friend Yami that to honor the pharaoh from long ago._

He looked at the artifact that was on his desk. He remembered his grandfather had been on an expedition in Egypt and had brought him back the pendant that Pharaoh Yami had always worn. The Millennium Puzzle. It was a rare artifact that many wished they could get their hands on and was worth a lot of money. But Solomon had given it to him instead.

_I wonder if the Ryou, Malik, and Ishizu's Millennium Items belonged to someone like Pharaoh Yami. I should go to the book store and see if it has any books on the Millennium Items. Or maybe I can ask Ishizu, she's an archaeologist. Then again, so are Kisara and Odion. All of them know about the Millennium Items. I'm sure they must know something about the original owners._ Yugi thought to himself. He set the book on the small table next to his bed and got under the covers. He and his grandpa would be busy tomorrow cooking for everyone. He was glad that his all of his friends would be able to come over. They hadn't all been together since school ended and part time, or full time jobs in some of their cases, got in the way. But now they would be able to see each other again, even if it was for only a few hours.

He yawned, lying down on his bed. "Well, I guess I better get some sleep. Me and grandpa are gonna be doing a lot of cooking tomorrow," he whispered to himself and closed his eyes, listening to the trees rustle from the soft wind.

Those dark ruby red eyes never left his face as he fell asleep.

* * *

Yami knew he should've left a long time ago, but he couldn't.

This boy was his.

His Soul Mate.

The one that would bring back colors to his sight and give him back emotions. Those emotions were swirling around inside him like a tornado, making him restless. He actually _felt_ restless. It had been two thousand years since he last felt any emotion. This boy, Yugi, was the missing half of his soul. His light that he gave up to save the world.

When he'd seen the boy at the café, he remembered that Mokuba had said that Yugi did look like a more innocent version of him and he agreed. The boy was shorter and more slender. His hair looked almost like Yami's, but he only had blonde hair framing his face. And his eyes were the most beautiful amethyst color Yami had ever seen.

He jumped on the windowsill of Yugi's room, looking at the sleeping boy. He looked like an angel. The boy stirred, as if he knew someone was watching him. _**Do you sense me, Little Light?**_ He asked the boy telepathically.

Yugi opened his eyes when he heard the voice in his head. There were only three people he knew that could that, and none of them sounded like that. He turned around to look at his window, seeing nothing there and looked outside, still seeing nothing or no one there. Who was it that talked to him?

_**Are you **__**scared that I can talk to you this way?**_ The voice asked him, as if it was amused by his reaction.

_**Who are you? And how are you able to talk to me like this?**_ Yugi asked them.

_**Because we are two halves of the same whole. I am the darkness and you are the light. Have you always been able to communicate with people like this?**_ The voice asked him.

_**Only three other people…why are you talking to me? Who are you? Do I even know you?**_

_**Patience, Little Light…we'll meet again…**_the voice said.

_**Little Light…? What are you talking about? And what do you mean we'll meet again? Who are you?**_ Yugi had to know who this person was. Did he know this person? It wasn't Malik, Ryou, or Ishizu talking to him. This person…was something else. He didn't know how he knew, but he knew something was different.

_**Go to sleep…**_

All Yugi saw was dark ruby red eyes before he felt his eyes close and the darkness of sleep took over.

* * *

Yay, another story. I was supposed to be working my Kingdom Hearts story, Mermaid's Tear, but this story popped into my head. I'll be leaving any warnings of each chapter at the top, like if there will be a scene of any couple in this story that you'll wanna or just a clear warning of any mentions. Yes, I will be using Téa in this story as a friend to Yugi. I actually thought she was pretty okay in the anime. But don't worry! There will be enough villains to make you happy. :D

So what do you think? Think it's a good start? Let me know.

Next chapter coming ASAP!:)


	2. Chapter 2

**Warnings!**

These couples are merely mentioned and nothing will be happening with them. Look at my profile to see who it is and to see my rating system for future reference.

Lifeshipping: mentioned  
Conquestshipping: mentioned  
Childshipping: mentioned

* * *

Yugi woke up in a panic the next morning, looking around the room as if he was expecting something to jump out and attack him. _Was it all a dream…?_

He swore he remembered hearing someone talk to him telepathically last night. But that wasn't possible was it? He knew that even Ishizu didn't know why they were able to communicate like that. Then again, the whole Ishtar family was able to do magic on some level. The most advanced one was Malik, and then it was Ishizu, Kisara, and Odion. Malik was able to possess people's minds and control them while Ishizu was able to see the future, or at least a possible future. Odion and Kisara only a little bit of magic power that only allowed them to sense the power inside other people. Ryou with his Millennium Ring was able to lead him anywhere that he wished to find, sense others emotions, erasing memories, possessing people's emotions, and use a small amount of shadow magic.

Other than that, Yugi didn't know or hear anything about anyone being able to use shadow magic. He knew he had to have been dreaming. There was no way that someone else was talking to him telepathically. _It was definitely a dream, Yugi. You must've been more into the story of that book than you thought and started dreaming of people talking mind to mind. Pull yourself together and go to the store to buy the groceries for dinner tonight._

_**I find it amusing that you think me talking to you like this is a dream.**_ A deep voice said amusingly. It was the same voice from last night!

_**Who are you? And how are you able to talk to him like this?**_ Yugi asked. If this person was dangerous…

_**Dangerous? Your imagination is certainly something else, Little Light.**_ The voice chuckled. He was laughing at him! Whoever this person was thought the whole situation was funny.

Yugi huffed and crossed his arms, shaking his head, wishing he could wake up from this dream. "You're not real," he said out loud. "I don't hear someone else's voice in my head and I'm not talking to them either." He stood up and stretched. "Maybe I can call Ryou and see if he can take me to the store."

_**I find your reactions amusing. Do you really think I'm part of your imagination?**_ The voice asked him.

The small boy decided not to answer, guessing it was insanity taking over. "I guess I better stop reading those books before bed. They must be making me think that I'm hearing someone," he tried to lie to himself. He closed his eyes and focused on creating a barrier in his mind. He, Ryou, Malik, and Ishizu had practiced on each other and were able to create barriers so that at least Ryou wouldn't be able to sense their emotions at least. His poor friend had a hard time functioning on the outside world with being empathic unless he was with Yugi, Malik, Ishizu, Odion, or his sister Amane. Though Amane didn't show any psychic abilities, she was still an anchor for her brother whenever the emotions of people surrounding him became too much. Ishizu concluded it was because they were blood related and that their biological connection kept him from sensing Amane's emotions unless he focused on it.

He made sure his barrier was up before he walked out of his room, forgetting that he left his window opened.

* * *

Yami smirked, as he saw the boy leave his room without closing the window. He took the opportunity to go in and explore. The room was small, well small compared to what Yami was used to. There was a large shelf filled with books on ancient Egypt and all the myths of dragons. So that's what he and his people had been reduced to? Myths and fairytales? All their hard work to save this world to keep the darkness from consuming it, and this is what they got? He didn't know if he should be appalled or enjoy the fact that he was able to _feel_ appalled.

Then again, there were so few dragons left in the world. Perhaps it was better that they were unknown. He walked around the room, seeing the desk covered with books, papers, and those cards that he'd seen Yugi with at the café. He noticed the manufactures name, seeing Kaiba Corp. as the creators of these cards. So that's what the Kaiba brothers had been doing? They had been giving people a history lesson and no one knew it.

He looked around the room more, smelling Yugi's scent everywhere, orchids. He heard Yugi approaching the room and disappeared before he could see him. Yami knew he couldn't just appear like that to the young boy.

"Soon, Little Light, we'll meet again," he whispered. He walked away, heading towards Kaiba Corp. It had been a while since he last saw Set and Seto. Probably five centuries ago. They weren't really social to begin with and losing their emotions only made them even more antisocial. But now…maybe Yami could convince them there was still hope left. He would have to contact all his comrades and tell them what has happened. This could at least give them the hope that all of them had been waiting for.

He saw Mokuba unlocking the door to his home. "Mokuba," he called out.

The black-haired boy looked at him and gave him an attempted smile. "Yami, what a surprise," he greeted. "I didn't think I would see you this soon. And looking so…happy." He looked at Yami like he was trying to figure out a puzzle. "Why do you look like that? If I had feelings, I'd be freaking out right now."

He chuckled, almost scaring himself when he did so. It had been two thousand years since he felt anything. Now everything felt like it was coming at him all at once. "I have something to tell you and your brothers. Are they here?"

Mokuba nodded, letting him inside. "All of my brothers are here today," Mokuba told him as they walked further in. "I finally convinced Set and Seto to take a break today, though they don't really need it. Can't really tell when they're tired."

Yami saw all of the other Kaiba brothers in the living room, Set was watching the news. Noah and Seto were near the window playing chess. "Hello, my comrades. It's been a long time," he greeted.

Seto took a glance at him before resuming his game. "More like not long enough," Seto muttered. "What brings you out of your hole?"

"Something that all of us have been wishing for," Yami replied seriously. "Something we've wanted for two thousand years…" He let them see his memories of the past twenty-four hours, letting them see that he'd found his Soul Mate.

"Yugi is your Soul Mate?" Mokuba asked.

He nodded. "Yes, I met him after you and Noah left yesterday. He and Tristan were playing some game called Duel Monsters and I wanted to see. After he introduced himself, I began to feel and see in colors."

"So…is that why Yugi looks like you?" Mokuba asked. "All of you gave up the light in your souls to seal away the darkness that threatened to consume the world two thousand years ago."

"Our light wasn't strong enough to actually destroy the darkness," Set told him calmly. "It was said that the light of our souls would eventually be reborn and that will be the strength we need to destroy the darkness once and for all. But after so long, I don't think any of us thought that we would find our Soul Mate. Most of our kind are able to find their Soul Mate before they even turn a century old." He looked at the former pharaoh. "Are you sure that this is the light of your soul? It was never said that light of your soul and your soul mate would be one and the same."

"But it would make sense if they were one and the same, wouldn't it?" Noah asked as he continued playing chess with Seto. "Two halves of the same whole. Light and darkness. One cannot exist without the other. Maybe the gods are finally giving back what was lost. Though Mokuba and I just recently lost our ability to feel emotions and see in color, it's been too long for you and the others. Not many of our kind would've last this long."

"Noah's right," Set said. "None of our kind would've lasted this long. Especially since all of you went through this alone, unlike Seto and I. We at least had Mokuba and Noah to share their emotions with us while the rest of you were either alone or travelled together. Though I fear for Marik and Bakura's sanity more than any of us. Those two were already close to the darkness before they gave up their light."

Yami nodded, his heart feeling heavy at the thought of those two. He only hoped that once he managed to get in contact with them that they wouldn't give up. "Do you know any way to contact them? I haven't talked to them in…three hundred years. The last I heard from them, they were living in Egypt in the ruins of the kingdom."

"Then contact Mahad," Seto suggested, moving one of the pieces on the chess board. "Check mate."

"Why would Mahad be able to contact them? He hasn't seen them any more than I have," Yami told him. "What is he going to be able to do?"

"He living in Egypt," Set answered. "We do keep track of our comrades when they want to be found. Though none of us knew Marik and Bakura were living in the ruins. Why are they living there?"

"Because…they thought it was the best place for them to be away from populated areas," Yami replied, seeing the brothers look at him. "They were much closer to the darkness than any of us realized. Both them decided to live in the ruins."

"Hn, and you were okay with the two deadliest psychopaths staying together in a ruined kingdom?" Seto asked. "How did you know the two of them would be okay?"

"The world hasn't ended, has it?" Yami countered.

Mokuba shook his head. "True, but you didn't at least keep in contact with them?"

Yami shook his head. "No, both of them said they'd be on their best behavior. And I told them if they weren't, I'd have no choice but to banish them to the Shadow Realm. Other than that, it seems like they've fallen off the face of the Earth."

"I see, but now you need to contact Mahad and tell him to get those two and bring them here," Set told the former pharaoh. "If they see that you found your Soul Mate, maybe they won't give up."

"One can only hope…," Yami whispered as he dialed a number on his cell phone that Mahad had sent to him a few years ago. He remembered asking his friend why he gave him such an item as he didn't need it. Mahad told him that they should try to fit in with the modern times and that talking telepathically from long distances took a lot of energy.

"Hello…?"

"Mahad, its Yami. There's something I need you to do…"

* * *

"Really? Someone else was talking to you like that…?" Ryou asked his friend.

Yugi nodded, putting two bags of chips in the cart. He'd called Ryou for a ride to the store and his friend had agreed since Amane was at work. "Yes. I feel like I've heard his voice before, but I'm not sure. I closed my mind off so he wouldn't talk to me anymore. But I know this isn't the last time I'll hear from him. What do I do?"

The white-haired boy shrugged, looking just as lost as he was. "I don't know, Yugi. You should tell Ishizu about this. She's the only one who might be able to help. Then again, maybe Malik can track him down. If I could see what he looks like then I would be able to use my ring to track him down. But I'm useless until then."

"I wonder where I've heard his voice though," Yugi mused as they walked through the ice cream aisle. "I swear I've heard him before, but I can't remember where. But I sense that he has a lot of power. I just know it."

"But you're no slouch either," Ryou pointed out, grabbing a half gallon of vanilla ice cream. "Maybe if he contacts you again, you should use that connection to locate him. Or try to see what he looks like. If you can at least get an image of him then I can just look into your mind and use my Millennium Ring to locate him."

Yugi sighed as he grabbed a half gallon of cookies and cream ice cream and a chocolate one. "I doubt it'll be that easy. I'm sure this guy knows I'll try something to find out who he is."

"But he won't expect me or Ishizu and Malik. Keep your mind open for the three of us and when we're able to, we'll try to break his barrier," Ryou told him. "It's the only thing I can think of."

Yugi was about to reply, but accidentally ran into someone. "I-I'm sorry!" he apologized, looking up at the person. "Yami…?"

The older man smiled down at him. "I'm surprised you remembered my name."

"I'm sorry for running into you. I didn't see you there," Yugi apologized again.

Yami waved his hand uncaringly. "It's alright, it was an accident. What are you doing here?"

"Shopping for food for a get together with my friends," Yugi replied, turning to Ryou. "This is my friend, Ryou. Ryou, this is a friend of Mokuba, Yami."

"It's nice to meet you," Ryou said with a polite bow.

Yami was surprised how much the white-haired boy resembled his comrade that he couldn't but say his name. "Bakura…?"

Ryou immediately looked at him with suspicion and took a small step back. "How do you know my last name?"

"I'm sorry," Yami apologized while shaking his head. "You look so much like my friend, Bakura." Then he realized what the boy had asked. "Did you say last name? Bakura is your last name?"

The white-haired boy nodded, looking at him with suspicious eyes. "Yes. My name is Ryou Bakura."

"I see…," Yami mused. "But I apologize. My friend's first name is Bakura. You two do sort of look like alike, except he looks older…" _And more sadistic and evil._ He thought, but he didn't need to say that to them. The boy did look like his friend except shorter and smaller in build. Bakura was built with wiry muscles and had a scar below his right eye. The only thing these two had in common were the pale white skin, white hair though Bakura's hair was more wild, and the brown eyes, though Ryou's eyes seemed a little lighter.

Ryou relaxed a little, but still remained a little wary. He noticed that he couldn't read the man's thoughts even when he tried. "I supposed there are people out there with the name Bakura, first or last." He also noticed that the man did look a lot like Yugi except older and more mature. Plus, the dark ruby red eyes were much more different than Yugi's amethyst gaze.

"That's true," Yami said then looked down at his mate. The boy looked just as stunning as he did last night. He was still wearing the jacket, but he had the hood down this time and now Yami could see his face even better.

"Are you okay? You seemed…troubled last night when you left the café," Yugi asked.

The older man nodded. "I'm fine. I was just…taken by surprised about something. But I assure you, I'll be okay. "Were you able to get home okay? I remember you were waiting for your friend to pick you up." He already knew that his friend came to pick him up, but Yugi hadn't seen him when he left. Now, he just needed to slowly get close to his mate. If this had been back in the old times that Yami was raised in, he would've simply claimed the boy already. But this was a new era and those laws were long forgotten as if they never existed.

"Yes, my friend came shortly after you left," Yugi replied. "But are you sure you're okay?"

"I'll be fine," Yami assured him.

"Yugi, we should finish shopping so we can get to your house and start cooking," Ryou reminded him quietly.

"Oh, right. Sorry, but we have to hurry. It was nice seeing you again," Yugi told the older man and bowed in apology.

Yami couldn't help but smile at his little mate. How he wished he could just take him away from her. _Good things come to those who wait…_he told himself. It was when he looked his mate over again that he noticed something. "That's a strange pendant…"

Yugi looked down at the Millennium Puzzle that was hanging around his neck on a chain. "Oh this? My grandfather gave this to me when he was exploring a ruin in Egypt. It belonged to Pharaoh Yami when he was the ruler. I managed to put it together a few years ago."

The former pharaoh felt his heart drop in panic. How had humans gotten into the ruins? Weren't Marik and Bakura living there? And Mahad as well? How could humans have gotten the Millennium Items? He looked over at Ryou and also noticed another item. "The Millennium Ring…"

Ryou looked down at his pendant then back at him. "So you know about the Millennium Items? My father found this when I was little and gave it to me."

"Those items didn't burn either of you?" Yami asked them.

Yugi looked confused. "Burn us? Why would the items burn us?"

"It was said that those with no pureness in their souls would be burned by the items," Yami explained. "And do you know why they were created?"

"Well, I've read the myth stories on the Millennium Items and it was said that they were needed to seal a great evil that had threatened to consume the world in darkness," Yugi answered. "But those are just myths."

"We really should get going, Yugi," Ryou reminded him again.

"Oh yes! I'm sorry, Yami, but we really need to get going," Yugi apologized.

"It's fine. Go ahead and finish your shopping. Perhaps we'll see each other again and we can talk about the Millennium Items more," Yami said.

The smaller boy sighed. "I really am sorry, but you're right. I'm sure we'll see each other again," he said, smiling at the older male. "Especially if you and Mokuba stop by the café once in a while. I'm sure we'll meet again."

"Until then, be safe," Yami told him then walked away from the two teens. He noticed that the white-haired boy was still looking at him suspiciously and didn't say anything as he and Yugi walked off. He tried looking into the boy's mind, but like Yugi, the boy had a strong barrier. If he tried to break it, Ryou would know. Seems there was more to Yugi and his friends than meets the eye. He could only what the rest of his friends were like.

* * *

"You plan on seeing that man again?" Ryou asked his friend as he helped his friend cook dinner. "He seems suspicious to me…"

"Well, he's a friend of Mokuba and Noah," Yugi pointed out. "And they're not so bad."

Ryou frowned a little. "I don't know. I feel like something is…off about him."

"Off about whom?" Ishizu asked as she walked in the kitchen. Instead of her usual straight hairstyle, her hair was pulled back into a loose braid which was probably Kisara's doing and wearing a casual long blue dress that matched her blue eyes. "You seem troubled, Ryou. Is something wrong?"

"Ishizu, what do you know about the Millennium Items? Are they supposed to burn anyone that grabs them if their soul is not pure?" Yugi asked.

She started cutting a tomato after rinsing it and answered. "I do remember reading somewhere that people with absolute darkness in their souls couldn't hold the items since it would burn them. But of course, it's just a myth. Why do you ask?"

"I had never heard of that story," Yugi told her. "And the reason why the Millennium Items were created was to seal a great evil, right?"

"Yes," she replied. "But that little piece was lost and no one knows exactly what that evil was. I'm hoping on this next expedition, I'll be able to find some answers."

"You're going on an expedition? When are you leaving?" Yugi asked.

"In about two months," she answered. "Odion will stay here with Malik since he has school. I don't know when we'll be back. The ruins we're going to is big. We might actually be able to find something about Pharaoh Yami instead of these myths. I know we'll find something…"

"Did you see it? In a vision?" He knew she would be able to see something thanks to her Millennium Necklace that allowed her to see into the future. Though she admitted the future she saw could be altered if a different decision was made. It also gave her visions of the past if she were to touch an artifact from then.

"The vision was very blurry," she replied. "I saw myself in the ruins yet when I tried to see who was with me, the vision ended."

"Don't worry, dear sister," a voice said from the living room. Malik walked in the kitchen, leaning on the counter near his older sister. "We know you'll be okay. You've gotten yourself out of bad situations before. But I doubt anything will happen."

"Hey! Is the food ready? I'm starving over here!" Joey shouted from the living room.

Mai snorted, rolling her at him. "What a mutt."

"Who are you calling a mutt, ya prissy witch?" he shouted at her then an argument between him and Mai began while everyone either ignored them or watched in amusement.

"I guess we better hurry up," Yugi said with a laugh. Right now he would push away all his concerns and focus on having a fun time with his friends. As he was setting the table with the food, he saw everyone sitting in various parts of the living room. Kisara, Serenity, and Rebecca were sitting together and talking to each other. Joey was sitting on the floor closest to the TV with Tristan and Amane and was arguing with Mai, who was sitting on the large couch with Valon, Alister, Téa, and Mikey. Odion was sitting across from his grandpa and the two were playing Duel Monsters and talking to each other.

This is what he enjoyed the most. Being with his friends no matter where they were. These days, it was rare for all of them to not be busy on the same day. Whether it was their part time jobs, school, or other errands, Yugi was glad that he and his friends remained close no matter what.

Ryou, Ishizu, and Malik finished putting the rest of the food on the table. "Dinner's ready," Yugi announced.

* * *

Yami was watching them through the window while he stood across from the home. The house was certainly small for a two story house, but watching Yugi and his friends sit around the room, whether it be on the sofa or floor, made the house look like home. The shop connected to the home was just as small, but he could tell the store had a lot of valuable items.

The boy who looked like his comrade, Ryou was sitting with a girl that looked almost just like him. Yami was assuming was his sister by the way the two were talking to each other along with their friends. His eyes landed on another figure that looked eerily similar to another comrade of his. He looked just like Marik, but like Ryou, the boy seemed more innocent. Yet he could sense great power in the boy. The boy looked outside and looked directly at…Yami?

He knew the boy couldn't see him since he made himself invisible yet the boy seemed like he was able to see him. Then boy turned away and talked to an older man that had hieroglyphic tattoos on his face. The older man looked out where the boy was pointing and tried to focus on the spot that the boy pointed out. Yami knew that man must've had some shadow powers otherwise he wouldn't be trying to focus so hard on finding him. He would have to investigate that family. It seemed the two were brothers and he knew that it means the woman in the blue dress was their sister. Though it seemed the woman pale skin, moon white hair, and blue eyes also seemed like she was a sister to them too. _How odd…_he thought.

After a few more minutes, he left. Yugi's friends were a unique bunch indeed. He could see why Mokuba decided to go to school just to see them. They were interesting to watch. And now, he had a mate. Though it would take him some time to claim him, Yami had to wait and bide his time. After two thousand years of suffering alone, he could afford to be patient to let Yugi know him personally.

* * *

Okay, so another chapter down! I'm actually having fun writing this. Like I said above, there will be warnings of any couples mentioned in this story. So in case you don't like say, Lifeshipping but see that it'll only be mentioned then you can probably read that part. Or if Lifeshipping has a rated M scene in the chapter then you'll know to skip it if it's not your cup of tea.

Anyways! Like the chapter? Wondering why Yami called Mahad? Think Yugi will figure out who's talking to him in his head? Leave a review and tell me what you think.

Next chapter coming soon!:D


	3. Chapter 3

**Warnings**

Bakura and Marik madness  
Mild violence  
Blood - mentioned

* * *

It had been a week since Yugi last saw Yami. A week since the voice stopped talking to him, almost as if he knew Yugi and his friends had been ready to fight a mental battle to see who he was. Since then, Yugi had been focusing on getting ready for the spring semester of school. Joey had decided to stay in school despite working two jobs and the exhaustion was slowly getting to him. Yugi could only hope that his friend would be okay. He'd tried offering his home as a place to live for Joey and Serenity, but Joey had disagreed, saying that his father would only try to hurt Yugi and his grandpa. How he wished that someone could rescue Joey from the hellhole that he called a home. He'd seen the bruises and broken bones that Joey had on a weekly basis. One week his shoulder would be out of place and then a rib or two would be broken the next.

The only people who knew about Joey's life were Yugi, Solomon, and Tristan. Serenity, of course, knew about it since she lived with Joey and their father, but Joey always made sure she was always safe and unharmed. Yugi knew Joey would never forgive himself if something were to happen to her. And now with her eyesight slowly getting worse, he knew his friend would feel guilty forever if he wasn't able to get the money for her surgery.

He sighed, as he continued to thump his pen against his notepad. It was a beautiful day outside and his classes were over so he decided to sit at an empty table outside near the library. His friends still had classes right now and they'd all agreed to have lunch together. So he would just have to wait until they were done.

"Hello again…," a voice called out to him.

Yugi looked up, seeing Yami standing before him. "Yami, hello," he greeted. "You attend Domino University too? I had Mokuba in my last class."

The older man nodded, sitting across from him. "Yes, he's the one that actually convinced me to attend school so here I am. Are you done with your classes for today?"

"Yes. Luckily for me I got all morning classes. I'm just waiting for my friends to finish their class right now so we can all go to lunch. Are you meeting up with Mokuba or Noah later?" he asked.

Yami nodded. "Yes. Noah is already out, but he said he'll meet up with me and Mokuba."

"That's good," Yugi said. Something about Yami looked and sounded so familiar to Yugi, but he couldn't put his finger on it. And why did he feel…complete? Like there was a piece of him missing that he never knew about. Yugi continued to look at the man, noting the differences between them. They did look similar, but Yami was about a head taller than Yugi, more muscular, and he was a little tanner than he was. "Where are you from?"

The older man blinked, having not expected Yugi to ask that. "Egypt," he replied.

"Egypt? You don't look Egyptian," Yugi said.

"Is it because I'm pale?" Yami asked with a smirk.

"No!" Yugi accidentally shouted. "I-I mean my friend Malik and his family are from Egypt and his older sister is paler than a ghost. They said no matter how long she stays out in the sun, she never tans. I'm sorry if I offended you."

Yami chuckled, shaking his head. "It's okay, Yugi," he assured. He saw that the boy was wearing the Millennium Puzzle around his neck, just like he used to before he sealed it away with the other Millennium Items. "So you said your grandfather gave the Millennium Puzzle to you as a gift?"

Yugi nodded. "Yes. He told me it was one of the few Millennium Items left. As you know, Ryou has the Millennium Ring. My grandfather found it a few years when he was looking through some ruins believed to be the Kingdom of the Dragons."

"The Kingdom of the Dragons? It's a myth?" Had humans really made him and his people into nothing but myths? Then again, it was probably better if they stayed like that. Only he and his friends remained along with a few more dragons living on an island just a few miles away from Domino City. "Do you believe it's a myth?"

The younger boy shrugged. "I don't know. My grandpa would tell me stories and said that all myths come from some form of truth. If it were true then history needs to be corrected." He heard his phone ringing and answered it. "Hello?"

"Hey, Yugi! I'm finally out of class," Joey told him. "I'm meeting up with Tristan. Are you meeting up with Ryou and the others?"

"Sure, I think I'm close to Amane's class," he replied. "How about you and Tristan go to Burger World and save us a spot? We'll be there soon. It seems like class is over. We'll see you there."

"Alright, see ya!" Joey said before he hung up.

Yugi stood up and gathered his stuff. "I'm sorry. But I told my friends I would meet up with them. Do you wanna join us while you wait for Mokuba?"

Yami was about to answer when he heard his phone ring. Mahad's name appeared on the screen and Yami knew that Mahad only called for two reasons, his annual checkup or if there was an emergency. "Mahad, what is it?"

"My pharaoh…the seal is broken…," Mahad said gravely.

"But how?" Yami shouted. "You and the others were guarding it. How could it be broken?"

"I don't know. It must've been broken when the humans came here exploring the ruins a few years ago. I couldn't stop them. I had to keep Marik and Bakura sealed. The darkness is eating away at them, especially Bakura. I had to either focus on stopping the humans from exploring and risk those two causing chaos, or focus on keeping them sealed and letting the humans explore," Mahad explained. "And I knew you wouldn't want the two of them dead."

"Alright, how far are you from here?" Yami asked.

"We're not too far so we'll be there soon. I had to keep these two sealed so I'm carrying them," Mahad told him. "I'll be flying to your mansion. I take it you'll be there?"

"Yes, I'll be there. I'll see you soon." Yami hung up and looked over at Yugi, who was looking at him with curious eyes. "My apologies. I must leave as well. An important errand came up that I must attend to."

Yugi shook his head and smiled, making Yami's heart feel lighter. "It's fine. I hope everything is okay. You looked panicked. But since we attend the same school, I'm more than sure we'll see each other every day now. So I'll see you later?"

Yami nodded, feeling a smile form on his face. It felt a little weird since he hadn't really smiled in so long, but it was all thanks to this boy standing in front of him. "Yes, I'll see you later," he said then left.

Yugi watched him as he walked away, noticing how relaxed he might've looked to everyone yet Yugi could see the tension in him. He wondered what could've made Yami so panicked. He'd tried reading his mind, but found that it was blocked off. Yugi didn't want to try and risk breaking it. But now that he thought about it…_Why does Yami have a mind block? He couldn't possibly be…_Yugi thought to himself. He thought about the man that had talked to him a week ago mind to mind. The deep voice, those dark ruby red eyes that night…they all reminded him of Yami now that he thought about it.

_Wait a minute…did he say Mahad?_ Yugi pulled out a book that he had about the myths of Pharaoh Yami and his comrades being dragons. He saw the name on the page. "Mahad…best friend and right hand man of the pharaoh. The strongest wizard in the whole world…," Yugi read then looked down at the rest of the names, remembering that Yami said he had a friend named Bakura. Sure enough, he saw the name. "The king of thieves, Bakura. Joined Yami's group of fighters after his family was killed in the Kul Elna Massacre." He continued to read the story seeing other names, but it wasn't until he saw two familiar names that he really started thinking something wasn't…a myth. "Mokuba Kaiba, biological younger brother of Set and Seto Kaiba and adopted younger brother to Noah Kaiba. Never knew his father and mother died in childbirth." He remembered one of the conversations he had with Mokuba regarding his family.

"_Mokuba, what do your parents do?" Yugi asked._

_Mokuba's face didn't change nor did the emotionless look in his eyes. "My parents are dead. My father left after I was born and my mother died giving birth to me. Noah's father adopted my older brothers and I shortly after."_

"_Oh, I'm sorry to hear that…," Yugi apologized. "My mother also died giving birth to me. My father died in an accident not too long after. My grandpa is the only family I have left. So Noah is your adopted brother? And you have two other brothers?"_

_The other boy nodded. "Yes. Two older brothers that are twins, Set and Seto," he replied._

This was too…coincidental. Could it be that the myths he'd grown up reading were really…real?

"Yugi!" a voice called out to him, bringing him out of his thoughts. He saw Amane standing there with Serenity and Ryou. "Are you okay? You looked lost in thought."

"I'm fine," he answered. "Just thinking about something."

"Well come on," she said. "We're meeting at Marik's car and Joey texted us saying he and Tristan will meet us at Burger World."

He nodded and walked with them. He knew that he had to do more research on the subject later. He didn't want to worry his friends. But everything that he just read and remembered from last week was too suspicious to ignore.

* * *

Yami was approaching his mansion when he saw a figure standing in front of it. Mahad stood before him with the two coffins containing their comrades. "My pharaoh, it's been a long time," Mahad said with a bow.

"Mahad, you don't have to be so formal. I'm no longer a pharaoh. I'm now just Yami Atem," he said. "It's good to see you again."

"Forgive me, my phar-Yami," Mahad corrected himself. "Despite your short time of being a pharaoh, it's still a habit of mine to call you that."

"How is it that the seal was broken?" Yami asked, getting straight to the point.

"I don't know," Mahad answered. "I knew humans were exploring the ruins a few years ago, but I did not think they would reach as far as they did. Not with all the traps guarding the Millennium Items and with the sealing magic being written in our ancient language. Forgive me, my pharaoh. I should've checked for myself to see if the seal was still intact along with Millennium Items."

"There's no need to apologize. It was bound to happen sooner or later," Yami stated, looking at the coffins holding their comrades. "And…how are they?"

Mahad looked at the one containing Bakura. "The darkness is eating away at whatever part of his soul is left. We're losing him, Yami. My powers can't do anything to save him, even Shadi tried to help him, but there's nothing we can do."

Yami walked over to the coffin, laying a hand on it. He could sense the darkness emanating from it and knew that Mahad was almost right. The darkness in Bakura had always been stronger than the light in him thanks to his harsh life and the death of his family. And after giving away what little light he had to seal their enemies, the darkness in him only got stronger. "Bakura, can you hear me?"

_**Of course I can hear you, you pathetic pharaoh.**_ Bakura snapped. Despite having lost his emotions, his voice still held that angry edge in it.

"You can't give into the darkness. There's hope for us. After two thousand years of waiting, I've finally found my light," Yami told him, hoping that it might at least get through that Bakura had a mate out there.

_**And…? You expect a congratulations from me? Don't make me laugh. Not that you could even if you tried. Tell that weakling, Mahad, to let me out of here. I don't want to sleep like this.**_ Bakura said.

"Do you and Marik swear to not cause trouble? You know all of us have to vote for that," Yami told him. "If you and Marik can't be stabled then we'll have no choice but to have Mahad seal you two again."

"You don't really plan on letting those psychotic animals out, do you?" Duke Devlin asked as he approached the mansion with the Kaiba brothers. He still looked the same after two thousand years, only dressed in modern clothing like everyone else. "There's a good reason why Mahad sealed them."

"Our enemies are free, Duke. We need as many of us as possible to stop them," Yami said.

Set looked at Mahad. "How is it that the seal is broken and the Millennium Items are missing? Weren't you and the two psychos supposed to be watching over this?"

The darkness in Mahad began to get more powerful as he looked at the former priest. "I was keeping our world safe by keeping these two sealed. Had I left them, they would be out causing chaos by now. The darkness in them is enough to make the very world tremble in fear. And I did not know of the seal being broken until I saw…the Diabound on my way here. It attacked me, but luckily I managed to escape. Had I stayed and fought, I would've lost these two forever. If the Diabound was there then the other warriors fighting for our enemy were probably not too far away."

Seto narrowed his eyes, looking at the two coffins. "Why would they want these two? They're weak."

Mahad glared at the former lord for thinking that the two men locked in the coffins were weak though he couldn't feel the anger. "Weak, you say? Fine. I shall let them out…"

"Mahad, don't!" Yami said in panic. "If you do that-"

"Then everyone here will know what I've been keeping sealed for five hundred years," Mahad stated as he pressed his hands together in front of him and started chanting. The symbols that had been on the coffins were now disappearing and the darkness in their friends started getting stronger. Yami looked at the coffins, watching the doors of them disintegrate into nothingness.

Magic chains were still around them and it appeared that they were sleeping. Bakura's snapped opened, glaring at the people in front of him. His dark brown eyes still had the hard look in them they'd always had before he lost emotions. "Is there a reason why Marik and I are being treated like this? We've been good, haven't we?"

Everyone looked at Marik, who appeared to be sleeping. But the darkness in him was forming a sinister, dark violet aura around him, showing everyone just how strong it was inside him. Even as he appeared to be peaceful, Yami was still frightened of him. Then again, being the former executioner, he would always intimidate anyone that crossed his path. Like Bakura, Marik was a very sadistic and he enjoyed watching others suffer whether it be physically or psychologically. Yami remembered Marik would take his time in executing a person ranging from ten hours to a whole week. The person would be begging for death by one hour to the point that they could no longer scream or speak. Of course, Marik would kill them before they could even process that they were dying. Yami felt his stomach hurl at the thought of the execution room. He'd never seen a room so…covered in blood.

_**Let me out.**_ Bakura ordered.

He shook his head to get the images out of his mind and to focus on the matter at hand. "You know we have to vote, Bakura…"

"You're not seriously thinking about letting these two free, are you?" Duke asked the former pharaoh. "If you let them out-"

"Then our enemies will have an advantage over us," Yami interrupted and narrowed his eyes at them. "We need them."

"Do you not see how powerful they are?" Set asked.

"I thought you said they were weak?" Mahad shot back at the former priest. "Now that you see how powerful they are, I'm sure you see that it takes even more power to seal them. This is what I've been keeping sealed for five hundred years. Had I let them free at any point, they would've disintegrated more than just those doors to the coffins."

_**Why are you weaklings shouting? Can't an executioner sleep in peace…?**_ Marik's voice said in their minds.

"Marik," Yami said calmly so as not to set Marik off. "If you don't help us, there won't be a place for you to sleep. The seal has been broken and our enemies are going to cover the world in darkness once again. You have to help us…"

_**There's no hope left, you fool. It's been two thousand years since I gave up what little light I had to save this wretched world. And how do the gods repay us? By taking away our emotions and sight of colors. Without our mates, there's no way we can win.**_ Marik told him.

Yami shared the images of Yugi and let Marik feel the emotions he was feeling, sharing it with everyone. "There is hope…," Yami said quietly. "After two thousand years, I've finally found my mate. There's a chance your mate is out there, Marik. You have to try."

_**What part of "no hope left" do you not understand? My soul is far too damaged to have someone so pure and innocent. Let me rest…**_Marik said, almost as if _he_ was asking for death.

"I can't let you rest, Marik," Yami stated, thinking of the young boy that looked like his comrade. He hoped that the boy could be Marik's light and could save him from the darkness that was threatening to consume his entire being. "Will you fight with us?"

"Pharaoh, surely you're not serious about this?" Set asked him. "He's crazy and mad. Just because you found your mate doesn't mean he, or the rest of us for that matter, will find ours. It would take us centuries just to search the entire world for our mates. We're cursed by the gods."

"Or perhaps the gods have sent us our light in our time of need," Yami countered. "Yugi has the Millennium Puzzle in his possession. And three of his friends have the Millennium Ring, the Millennium Rod, and the Millennium Necklace. You can't tell me that all of them being in this city are just a coincidence?"

Mokuba looked down then at his brothers and friends. "I thought it was strange that the puzzle and the ring didn't burn Yugi and Ryou, but I never thought they could possible mates for any of us. Do you think it's possible that all of them are mates to any of us?"

Yami sighed. "I don't know. Joey, Tristan, Serenity, and Amane appear to be normal. They have mind barriers protecting them but they don't appear to be aware of it. Not like Yugi and the others. He's telepathic. It's difficult to read his mind."

"Do you really believe the rest of us have a chance?" Mahad asked quietly. "I don't wish to doubt you, but it's been two thousand years since the war…we're the only ones left aside from the ones living on the island just outside Domino City. Our people might as well be extinct. No one knows about us let alone the suffering we've endured to keep this world safe. Do you really believe the gods have blessed us with mates now in this time? Especially now that our enemies are back? My pharaoh, I want to believe our prayers have finally been answered, but…will our mates be killed in this upcoming battle?"

That was it…Yami knew if they could feel it, they would be fearing the possible loss of their mate should their enemies learn about it. He was scared right now as they spoke for Yugi's safety. And if their enemies found out about him…Yami would have no choice but to claim Yugi as soon as possible. He didn't want to go back to that life of nothingness. Not after finding his mate and waiting for this long. "If we protect them well enough then they'll be fine. I know that's what all of you are afraid of. That if you find your mate then they'll be killed and you'll have nothing left."

"Won't it be too great of a risk?" Duke asked. "Are you willing to risk you and your mate's safety, knowing that our enemies will be hunting us down every chance they get?"

"Aren't you supposed to be the gambler, Duke?" Yami asked. "You know as well as I do that there will always be that risk. But you know the list of pros far outweighs the cons. As long as I have Yugi, I don't need anything else." He looked back at Bakura and Marik. The former executioner still appeared to be sleeping, but he knew Marik was very much aware of what was going on. "So I ask you again, Bakura and Marik…will you fight with us?"

Bakura just lied there, giving him the same look that everyone was giving him. After a few seconds, he gave Yami an emotionless grin while the darkness in him grew more powerful. The chains that had been binding him disintegrated along with the rest of the coffin and he stood before the former pharaoh. "Of course I'll fight," he stated. "So long as I get to kill them once and for all this time. Even if I don't find my light."

_There's one._ Yami thought then looked at Marik. "And Marik…? Will you join us in this battle as well?"

Everyone looked at him as they waited for his answer. Yami could feel the darkness in him growing as well. At this point, he could only hope he was right about one of Yugi's friends being his light.

Dark lavender eyes snapped opened. "So…who do I get to kill?"

* * *

Joey spat out his drink in shock as he, Serenity, Tristan, and Yugi were driving to Yugi's house. "What do ya mean someone else was talking to you in your head? It wasn't Malik playing a trick on ya or something?"

Tristan shook his head as he drank his slush. "That telepathic hoodoo is way beyond me," he muttered.

"Me and you both buddy," Joey agreed.

"But…how would someone know about you being able to talk like that?" Serenity asked.

Yugi shrugged as Joey pulled up to the game shop. "I'm not sure. But I'm going to find out who it is," he stated. "He sounds familiar…"

"Well, don't get yourself into any trouble," Joey told him as he stopped the car. "See ya later. Tell Gramps I said hi."

"I will. Be careful on the way home," he told his friends as he got out of the car. He watched them drive off then walked to the door. "Grandpa, I'm…home…"

Yugi was shocked at the sight that greeted him. Shelves were broken, the showcases were broken as well with the contents thrown to the floor, but the cash register was oddly untouched. He ran further inside to the living room, seeing the lamps broken with other furniture thrown out of place. _What happened here?_ He thought. "Grandpa!" He ran upstairs seeing the obvious signs of a struggle. There were scratch marks on the walls. "Grandpa, where are you?"

He ran to his grandfather's room, not seeing any signs of him. Who would break into their shop and not steal the obvious things like their TVs or try to open the cash register? Was his grandfather…kidnapped?

_That's impossible. Grandpa doesn't have any enemies._ Yugi thought to himself. He walked further into his grandpa's room and nearly fell when he slipped on something on the floor. Taking a closer look at it, he saw that it was red and thick…like blood. He felt his stomach hurl at the sight of it._ No, no, NO! Grandpa you can't be…you just can't!_

"Ah, I see you've finally come home," a voice sneered behind him. Yugi turned around to see a man in a red suit and mask with black and blue stripes on it along with a hat that matched. "So the old man was lying."

"Who are you? Where's my grandpa?" Yugi asked angrily.

The man took off his hat and bowed. "My name is Arkana, famed magician and servant of Zorc," he replied then stood up straight. "As for your grandfather, I'm sure the other servants are having fun torturing him for answers."

"Answers for what?" Yugi shouted. "My grandpa doesn't know anything that's worth killing him over!"

"The Millennium Puzzle? Zorc wants it and you," Arkana said, smiling maniacally. "To see the look on the Yami's face as we sacrifice you will be priceless! I can't wait to see his hopes be stepped on."

"Y-Yami? What does Yami have to do with this?" Yugi asked, slowly backing away. There was no other way out except the window and the man was blocking the other way.

"Oh dear, do you not know?" Arkana asked as if he were talking to a child. "I guess as a pharaoh there's not much to talk about since he didn't rule for that long…but yes, little Yugi. All those myths that you oh so love reading about are true. The war, the magic, everything! And now that Master Zorc is back, he'll take over this world and your beloved pharaoh and his lackeys will be gone forever!"

Before Yugi could react, he was suddenly into the wall and felt a strong grip around his neck. He kicked his leg out and made contact with the older man's torso, causing him to loosen his grip. Yugi took the chance to run out of the room and ran as fast as he could. He felt a sharp pain from his leg run through him and fell to the ground. "What the…?" He looked down, seeing a knife in his calf.

"Now now, we can't have you running off now, can we?" Arkana said mockingly while twirling another knife in his hand. "Even though that slowed you down, I should make sure you won't try to do anything with your hands…" He threw another knife at the young boy's right shoulder causing Yugi to cry out loudly in pain.

Yugi slowly pulled the knife out and clutched at his shoulder to try and keep the blood from flowing. "W-Why are you doing this?" He started to feel dizzy from the blood loss, unable to focus on the man. The blood was flowing in between his fingers and he'd forgotten about that there was still a knife in his leg.

"Because…I want my beloved back," Arkana answered. "Master Zorc said if I give you to him and kill Yami then he'll bring her back to me."

"And you think Zorc will bring her back if you do this?" a voice asked from behind him.

Yugi looked to where the voice came from, seeing a familiar face before he passed out. "…Yami…"

* * *

Yay! Another chapter down! And yes, Bakura and Marik do deserve their own warnings cause…well yeah. They're crazy. But at least you know why Yami called Mahad! Now…what's gonna happen to Grandpa Solomon? Just have to wait and see. Poor guy, he's always getting captured.

Think Yugi finally found out the truth about Yami? And what about the rest of Yami's crew? Think they'll be able to find happiness? Leave a review and let me know who do you think is gonna be coupled with who. ;)

Next chapter coming soon!:)


	4. Chapter 4

**Warnings**

Puzzleshipping – Rated K  
Puppyshipping – mentioned  
Mild blood

* * *

"You shouldn't have brought him here," Seto sneered as he looked at the human lying in Yami's bed. "Bringing him here is a risk to you."

"He's my mate," Yami pointed out as he brushed his hand over Yugi's hair. "I couldn't take him to a human hospital and leave him there unprotected. Not with Arkana after him. They already have his grandfather."

"He's going to get us killed," Seto said. "You're asking us to risk our lives for this…_human?_"

Yami glared at him, fighting off his transformation. "He is my mate, Seto Kaiba. And no one told _you_ that you need to protect him. He's my responsibility."

"And you're our responsibility," Seto shot back. "If you die then what is there for the rest of us?"

"Our people are all but extinct," Yami said quietly. "I knew if I were to have a mate that most likely it would be a human. But Yugi is not an ordinary human. He has special powers of his own and can use magic."

"He's still a weak fragile human," Seto argued. "No matter if he can use magic, he will always be human. Even if you bind your soul to his, he will never be as strong as we are."

The pharaoh gave him a cold look. "I don't need him to be physically strong. I need him to just stay safe. He's my light, Seto. I can't afford to lose him after so many years of waiting. Do you not see that there's hope for us now?" He tried to show Seto how it felt to feel the hope he felt, but the man's mind was sealed shut. As if he was hiding something. "Why do you keep your mind shut like you do? It's one thing to keep it closed off, but to keep the barrier up as if you're afraid someone will find out something that they're not supposed to is another…"

"_Shut up_," Seto growled. The way he said it…he was _feeling_ anger.

Yami broke through his barrier and saw everything in the former priest's mind. "By the gods…you already found your mate," he said in shock. He recognized the boy as one of Yugi's friends. "Joseph Wheeler? He's your mate? Why have you not claimed him?"

Seto growled at the mention of his mate's name and looked away. "Because he's a mutt," he said coolly. "He's weak and pathetic and a complete mongrel. He has no manners whatsoever. I will not have someone like that as my mate. You expect me to take someone as pathetic as him as my mate?"

"But he's yours," Yami pointed out. "There will be no other for you. If he dies then you'll be all alone for eternity…"

"I'm looking forward to it," Seto stated. "It's better than having someone like him by my side for the rest of my existence. He's loud, obnoxious, and useless. He's not even that smart."

"He's going to school," Yami said. "I saw his mind, Seto. That boy has gone through hardships none of us have even dreamed of. Are you going to let him continue to live like that? He's selfless, caring, and willing to risk anything for his sister and friends. He's working so much to the point that he's almost about break just so he can save money for his sister's eye operation."

"Eye operation?" Seto asked, looking very much surprised. "His sister needs an eye operation?"

"Have you not read his mind? He does have a barrier, but it's not developed enough to block us from it. I was able to read his mind very easily," Yami explained.

"Why would I read his mind? He's useless," Seto said. "All he ever did was try to pick a fight with me whenever we went to school together. Of course I'm the CEO of Kaiba Corp. and he's nothing but a penniless mongrel. He'll be lucky if he can even graduate from university. His friends had to tutor him throughout high school and he still barely managed to pass."

Yami turned away from him and looked at Yugi's sleeping face. He couldn't help but feel sorry for Seto and Joey. His old friend was determined to remain alone and leave Joey alone. And Joey would never know true love. Seto didn't know of the abusive life Joey was living through. He'd sensed the boy's exhaustion. He could even see the bruises that the blonde boy tried so hard to cover. The wince he would make once in a while as he touched his ribs. "You're damning him to a lonely existence."

"And you think I care?" Seto asked. "I'm damned knowing that I had some hope, but that hope turned out to be nothing but a mortal who's not smart, no manners, and is loud." He walked away before Yami could say anything else.

He shook his head as he looked at Yugi. He would never treat his precious Little Light like that. He would do everything in his power to ensure Yugi's happiness and safety. He'd rather rip his heart out before he would hurt Yugi. And his heart couldn't help but feel heavy with sorrow for his comrade. If only he knew of Joey's true personality. Seto was all about loyalty and Joey would've been the most loyal person to have beside him.

But there was nothing he could. As much as he wanted to help Yugi's friend, Yami had to protect his mate. Trying to force Seto to accept Joey would only end up in an unnecessary argument and possible fight. He lied down next to his mate opting to rest while he could. He hadn't been able to sleep since the attack two days ago. He'd been so worried about Yugi's health after getting stabbed though the wounds weren't serious. But he wasn't used to feeling worry.

For now, he would rest. He needed all the energy he could get once Yugi woke up. He was certain his mate would have questions.

* * *

"Where the hell could he be?" Joey said to himself as he walked through a neighborhood, looking for his best friend. It had been two days since Yugi and his grandfather went missing. The police only told them that there were signs of a struggle and blood in Solomon's room. Solomon's own blood at that. Since then, Joey and the others had been looking all over Domino to see if there were any signs of Yugi and Solomon but so far to no avail. Joey knew they couldn't count on the police for too long. He'd been hanging around the streets long enough to know how the police worked. "Where are you, Yugi…?"

"Does it matter?" Standing before Joey was his dream and nightmare, Seto Kaiba. Since day one, the two of them were very antagonistic to each other. Joey couldn't stand how cocky the rich boy acted and belittled him every time.

"What do ya want, Moneybags?" Joey asked, glaring at the man. "I ain't got time for you for right now. So I'll just leave." He started to walk pass the man, but Seto grabbed his wrist.

"Does your friend Yugi really matter that much to you?" Seto asked, not bothering to look at him. He didn't want to see Joey. Looking at him would only make him want to claim the blonde boy even more. He could already feel the dragon inside clawing at him to claim his mate. It was taking everything in him right now to keep himself from running off with the young boy. "He's safe."

Joey's eyes widened in shock and looked at him. "Yugi? You know where he is? Where is he?"

"Safe. Just know that much," Seto replied then released his wrist. "An associate of mine managed to save him in time before he was captured and has been helping him recover."

"What happened to him?" Joey demanded and grabbed Seto's arm to keep him from walking away. "Is he alright?"

Seto growled and yanked his arm away. "Don't touch me, you mongrel."

Joey didn't back away and pushed him against a nearby wall. "Damn it, Kaiba! I don't have time to deal with your shit! Tell me where Yugi is!" Before he could react, he was suddenly slammed into the wall, enough to knock the wind out of him and make him a little dizzy. The cut on his arm that had been wrapped was bleeding again from the impact.

"I told you, Wheeler. _Don't_ touch me," Seto snarled. The scent of blood hit him as he kept Joey pinned to the wall. When he pulled his hand away, he noticed Joey was holding his arm and grimaced like something was hurting. He knew Joey had a high tolerance for pain and rarely showed any indication that he was hurt so to actually see him reacting like this was something new. "What's wrong, Mutt? Can't even take a little push to the wall?"

Joey didn't bother to say anything and began walking away. He needed to go re-bandage his injury before any of his friends saw this or worst, his sister. She would freak out if she saw this though it wasn't the worst injury he'd gotten, but it would leave a scar and would continue to bleed out if he didn't care for it properly.

"I asked you a question," Seto stated as he watched the blonde slowly walk away.

The blonde gritted his teeth as he fought back from giving the older man a smartass answer. "Maybe when I'm not injured I'll answer it." He gasped when he saw that Seto was suddenly in front of him. "What do ya want? I'm leaving-HEY!"

Seto pulled the green jacket down to see what was wrong and saw what he'd been hiding underneath. It looked a lot worse than a scratch. It had to be about be about eight inches covering most of the length of his upper arm. The cut was not too deep, but it would need stitches. It almost looked like someone took a knife to him. "You need to go to a doctor and get stitches," he said calmly then looked at him. "It's not going to heal properly if you just wrap it in bandages like this. It's already infected."

Joey glared at him and tried to pull his arm back. "Whatever. I'll just put some alcohol or peroxide on it." He managed to get free and pushed him out of the way as he began walking again. _I gotta find Yugi. If Seto knows where Yugi's at then maybe Mokuba or Noah know. I'll just ask them. Better than asking their stupid cocky brother._ He had walked a few blocks before someone grabbed him from behind and shoved him into a car. "What the hell? Get off me!" He tried to kick at the person, but they managed to dodge it.

"Calm down, Wheeler," Seto said. "I'm taking you to the hospital to get that injury treated."

"I don't want your help!" he yelled at him. "Let me out, Kaiba!"

"You don't want my help, but you _need_ my help," Seto countered. "And plus, I'll tell you where Yugi is if you do this."

The younger boy calmed down and sat as far away from as possible. As much as he didn't want Seto's help, he needed it only because he was the only one who knew where Yugi was. "Fine. I'll go along with this. Now where's Yugi?"

"First, we get that stitched up then I'll tell you where he is," Seto said then closed his eyes to gather his thoughts and to show Joey that the conversation was over.

* * *

Yugi woke up in a panic after having a nightmare. He looked around the room, noticing that it wasn't his room or any room that he was familiar with. He could see from the window that it was daylight, probably around midafternoon. "Where am I?" This room wasn't familiar at all to him. It was very old fashioned and big. He saw something move out of the corner of his eye and saw Yami sleeping next to him. "Y-Yami?"

The older man stirred and opened his eyes. "What time is it?" he groaned. He rolled over, seeing Yugi's concern face looking at him. "You're awake."

He nodded. "Where am I? What happened to Arkana? Do you know where my grandpa is?" He could feel the panic rising inside him. He remembered there was blood…his grandpa's blood. Was his grandpa dead? "Grandpa…"

"Yugi, relax," Yami ordered as he cupped the boy's chin and forced him to look at him. "I promise I will find your grandpa and bring him back to you. But I need you to remain calm so I can check your wounds. They haven't healed yet."

"He said you're the pharaoh," Yugi said then looked at him. He remembered Arkana saying that Yami was indeed _the_ Pharaoh Yami from the myths and that everything was true. "The one from the stories. That they're all true. He's lying…right?"

The older man looked away from him. "I…think you should rest more." He got up to get the stuff he needed to clean Yugi's wounds. A small hand grabbed his wrist.

"I don't need rest. I need answers," Yugi said, looking at him with those large amethyst eyes. "What did that man mean that you're the pharaoh? That legend is two thousand years old. There's no way that you're…is there? And I recognize your voice. You're the one that was talking to me telepathically."

"I am. You've heard the legend of the dragons, correct?" Yami asked.

"After a century of living a dragon loses their ability to see in colors and their emotions. It usually meant that the dragon's soul mate was dead," Yugi replied. "And the dragon had two choices, die peacefully on their own terms or they sold their souls to the darkness for power. If they didn't choose either, they continue their empty existence."

"That's right," Yami confirmed then looked at his soul mate. "Everything Arkana said was true. I am the pharaoh in the stories you read of. I have been alive this whole time along with my comrades." He could see the shock on Yugi's face. He knew being upfront about everything would probably make anyone feel that way and think he was crazy.

A part of Yugi didn't want to believe him, but he saw that there were no signs of Yami lying to him. He could see that Yami was uncomfortable talking about it, but that was probably normal for anyone revealing a secret like this. He merged his mind with the older man and saw all of his memories and gasped. "You've really been alive for two thousand years?"

"Two thousand and twenty years to be exact," Yami answered. He felt Yugi gentle probing of his mind and allowed it so that Yugi could see all of his memories. He hid that they were mates away so that his Little Light wouldn't get frightened. "I was only twenty years old when the war between the dragons and Zorc and his army happened. I had been pharaoh since I was eleven and a few people were not happy that I had been chosen. I never thought they hated that much that they would sell their souls for power. My people have become all but extinct. Only my comrades and I remain as the only pure blooded dragons in the world."

"This war started…because of you?" Yugi asked as he sat near the edge of the bed. Yami walked over to the window and looked out. "Only because you became pharaoh at a young age? And the legends are true?"

"That's right. By the time I was twenty, one of the priests had planned my death. Set and Seto managed to stop him from killing me, but he got away. That's when Zorc attacked," Yami explained. "A few of my followers had turned against me. Arkana was one of them. He's not a dragon like me, but he was a very powerful wizard and he trained under Mahad. However, Arkana started going mad after his mother passed away then when an accident happened that ended up scarring his face he became delusional. His fiancée left him when she realized that there was no hope for him. He asked me for help, but I couldn't force her to stay with him. So for that, he betrayed us. There were others, but I don't know if they're back as well."

"But why did he attack me and my grandpa?" To Yugi none of this made sense. He'd never met Arkana until that night. But his heart felt heavy for Yami. The man looked older now that he heard everything. Those dark ruby red eyes had so much sorrow and had a haunted look. Yugi wanted nothing more than help him push those memories away. After seeing all that he went through made him feel sorry that the man standing before had received nothing for saving the world. "What do I have to do with it?"

"Did you not see in my memories? I was once the keeper of the Millennium Puzzle. Once I gave up my light, I could no longer keep it without it burning me," he admitted. "The darkness in me is strong. I can no longer be the guardian of it no matter how much I wish to be."

Yugi looked at the item hanging around his neck. He remembered when his grandpa had given it to him a few years ago and how he'd put together. He never thought he would meet the original guardian to it. "And why am I here? Why did Arkana attack my grandfather? Why didn't he just take the Millennium Puzzle and go?"

"He was trying to harm me through you," Yami answered quietly. "He knew I wouldn't be able to focus if he had captured you."

"But we barely know each other. I've only known you for a few days," Yugi said. "Why did you talk to me telepathically? What am I to you?" He could feel his heart beating a little faster, a little anxious to what Yami would tell him. After seeing all his memories and his life, he felt comfortable with him, but there was still that part of him that made him a little scared. "I'm your mate, aren't I?" He remembered seeing all of Yami's memories had been black and white…until he met him. He saw that the moment they met, Yami had regained his sight of colors and began to feel emotions again.

The former pharaoh nodded. "Only if you wish to be."

"What do you mean if I wish to be? What are you saying?" he asked.

Yami looked him straight in the eyes as he answered. Wanting his mate to know that he meant the truth. "I will not force you to stay with me if you don't wish to. The only thing I ask is that you stay here until my comrades and I remove these threats to the world. Once that's done, you can decide if you wish to return to your old life or stay with me. The decision will be yours, Yugi."

Yugi got up and limped over to him, ignoring the pain he felt in his leg. "But what will happen to you? You'll be lonely again."

Yami smirked as he shook his head. His heart swelled in happiness as Yugi was still thinking about him despite being presented the option of leaving. "You don't have to concern yourself for my wellbeing, Yugi. My kind is not known for even giving their mates options. Usually we just take our mate away and claim them, no questions asked."

"You're willing to let me go? Even if it means being alone for the rest of your life?" Yugi asked, looking up at him with those big amethyst eyes.

The older man brushed his hair back, running his finger along his cheek and smiled sadly. "I'm willing to do anything to ensure your happiness, Yugi. If it means letting you go, then I will let you go."

Before Yugi could respond the door was opened and a few men walked in. He hid behind Yami and looked at the men in the room. One of them looked like Ryou, but Yugi could feel the darkness coming off him in waves. Like his whole being was nothing but darkness. There was also a man who looked like Malik, but like the man that looked like Ryou, the darkness was strong in him. Then he saw Mokuba along with his brothers and two other men standing not too far from them.

The man who looked like Ryou sneered at them. "Seto told us you brought your mate here. But I didn't think he would be a puny human."

Yami glared at him, growling. "What are all of you doing here?"

Mokuba ignored him and ran over to Yugi. "Are you okay, Yugi? My brother Seto told me what happened. He said he was over here earlier."

"I'm fine," Yugi assured him. "So, you're one of them?"

The black haired boy nodded. "Yes, I'm sorry for not telling you or the others. I didn't think you would end up being Yami's mate."

"Seto has Joey right now. He's taking him to the hospital," Noah informed him.

"What? Joey's going to the hospital? What happened to him?" Yugi asked.

"I'm not sure," Noah replied calmly. "Something about him needing stitches on his arm and that it's infected."

Yami sighed, trying to fight down the jealousy that he was beginning to feel at the way Noah and Mokuba were able to talk to his mate so easily and casually. "Is there a reason why he took Joey to the hospital?" He knew Seto was trying everything in his power to avoid the boy yet he voluntarily helped the boy when he needed it. Perhaps Seto was not as unaffected as he seemed to be. He knew the emptiness one had when not near their mate for too long. And since Joey remained unclaimed, Seto would be feeling that emptiness even more.

"He's planning on telling that boy everything. I saw it in his mind," Set revealed. The look on his face showed that he knew the truth as well about Seto finding Joey.

_**Set, do you know about…?**_ Yami asked.

_**It would be hard for me not to notice. Seto and I are always in each other's mind. I have known this for quite some time now.**_ Set replied. _**And I know he refuses to claim the boy. My brother needs to see that this Joseph Wheeler isn't a bad person. He's quite noble and loyal if you look pass his rudeness. I fear my brother will not be budging any time soon. Don't tell my younger brothers just yet. I think they'll be upset if they find out he's giving up his mate and what little hope any of us have.**_

_**What will you do when you find yours?**_ He knew Set and Seto were very much alike though at the same time they were very different. Set had always been the more approachable one between the two yet he still had the regal look in his eyes and appearance. He was afraid that Set would treat his mate the way Seto was treating his.

_**Don't mix me with my brother. We may be twins, but I'm not like him. If I found my mate, I wouldn't let them go. I would hold onto them as though my life depends on it. My brother may want to live in the darkness, but I don't. I would love and cherish my soul mate and make sure they know it.**_ Set told him.

Yami couldn't help but smile at that. At least he wouldn't have to worry about losing Set. "Do you think you guys can leave Yugi and me alone for a moment? There are some things we need to discuss."

All of them nodded then left the room and closed the door. Yugi looked up at him, teeth tugging at his lower lip nervously. "So…what are we going to do?"

Yami caressed his cheek with a gentle finger, tracing it along his cheekbone. "If you wish, I would like it if you give us a chance. I've waited so long for you and now you're here. I can finally see the enjoyment in life once again," he said.

Yugi knew that wasn't a lie. He'd seen every memory of the man standing before him and couldn't help but feel his heart go out to him. The man had gone through so many years alone, fighting the darkness inside every second despite its tempting whispers to him. And he also felt like a piece of him that he didn't know he was missing had been returned to him. He was a little scared of the future, but he could try to give Yami a chance. He deserved it after keeping the world safe for this long and suffering in the darkness. He smiled up at him, taking his hand into his. "I'm willing to try, Yami. As long as you continue to be honest with me and not hide anything from me. Do I have your word?"

The older man didn't bother responding and hugged the boy close. He buried his face in his hair, inhaling his orchid scent and tried to control the beating of his heart. "Thank you," he whispered. "You have no idea how long I've waited for you."

"I think I might after seeing all of your memories," Yugi said, hugging them back. Despite only knowing each other for a very short period of time, it felt natural to hug him. And he'd seen Yami's resolve to find his grandpa and stop the darkness once and for all. "Do you think my grandpa is still alive?"

"He is," Yami said, cupping his chin and looked him in the eye. "I will find him, Yugi. I promise I will. And I promise I will never hide anything from you. I intend to treasure you until the end of time. You've been chosen by the Millennium Puzzle to be its keeper and now I'm giving you my heart to keep."

Yugi smiled even more. "I'll protect your heart, Yami."

Yami could feel the hope and happiness in his heart at Yugi's words, something he hadn't felt in a long time. "Good, let's go see my friend Mahad and see if he can heal those wounds."

Before they even took a step, Set came running through the door. "Yami, we have visitors."

"Visitors? Is it Seto?" Yami asked.

Set shook his head. "They're humans."

Yami's eyes went wide in panic. Had humans really explored this far into the forest? "Are they a threat?"

Set glanced back then looked at him. "It's only two of them. One carries the Millennium Ring, the other wields the Millennium Necklace. It seems the one with the ring found this place. Luckily for them, Mahad took Bakura and Marik away from this place. Had they been here they would've attacked the humans."

"That's Ryou and Ishizu!" Yugi said then staggered to the hallway. He saw over the banister that Ishizu and Ryou waiting by the door. "Ryou! Ishizu!"

"Yugi!" Ryou shouted, relieved that his friend was okay, but Ishizu had a grim look on her face. Yugi knew this couldn't be good if she had that look. "Are you okay?"

"I'm okay. Are you-"

"Yugi," Ishizu interrupted calmly. "I'm afraid I have seen something…disturbing."

* * *

I love cliffhangers. Perhaps a little too much. But at least Yugi is willing to give Yami a chance. Their relationship will be going at a normal pace. I don't want them to be rushing into everything at once. So what do you think Ishizu saw in her vision? Why is Seto refusing Joey?

Just a little heads up, I got a part time job so updates might be a little slower. We'll see.

Next chapter coming soon!


	5. Chapter 5

**Warnings**

Puzzleshipping – G  
Tendershipping – T

Violence, blood

* * *

"What did you see?" Yugi asked, limping down the stairs. "Is it…my grandpa?"

She nodded with a grim look. "He's alive…for now."

"What happens to him? Do they torture him to death?" He was trying to fight back the tears that were threatening to spill. The thought of losing his grandpa was something he didn't want to think of.

"I don't know," she replied. "It didn't look like they were torturing him to death. It looked more like a ritual of some sort. Like they were sacrificing him to someone."

"Oh Ra, they were probably sacrificing him to Zorc," Set told them. He looked at Yugi. "Does your grandfather know anything about shadow magic?"

The young boy nodded. "Yes, he's the one that taught me how to about it and how to use it. I only know a little bit, but not much. Why does that matter?"

"So there was another reason why they captured him," Duke said. "Anyone that commands shadow magic is big bonus for their master. The more power that person has, the less people they'll need. Unless we save him soon, they'll sacrifice him."

"And that's probably why they want Yugi," Yami stated. "Do any of your friends know shadow magic?"

Ryou and Ishizu raised their hands. "My family also knows it," Ishizu said. "My brother, Malik is the most powerful one. He's also the keeper of the Millennium Rod. Kisara, my sister, isn't really strong in shadow magic, but there's a power in her that none of us know much about. My older brother doesn't know much either, but he's still very powerful."

"I'm the only other one that knows anything of shadow magic," Ryou told him. "My sister can't use it. She's just an anchor for me whenever emotions around me get to be too much."

"An empath," Duke stated. "Haven't met one of those in a long time. How are you able to function right now if your sister is not here?"

"As long as Yugi, Ishizu, or one of her family members are with me, I can go anywhere without feeling everything," he answered.

"Can you find my grandpa with the ring?" Yugi asked.

Ryou shrugged. "I'm not sure, but I can give it a try." He closed his eyes, raising his hands on both sides of the ring as it glowed.

"How are these humans able to use such power?" Duke asked.

"I think the real question is why they were born with this magic," Set said.

The ring stopped glowing and Ryou opened his eyes. "I can't find him," he told Yugi. "He must be far away for me not to sense him. Or I might be too weak to sense that far. I'm sorry."

"It's okay," Yugi said, feeling disappointed. "I should've known that it wouldn't be that easy to find him."

"Does your grandfather know anything of shadow magic?" Duke asked him.

Yugi nodded. "Yes, he's the one that taught me how to use it. He knows how to use it himself. He also taught Ryou how to use it."

Set shook his head with a look of disbelief. "A human that commands shadow magic? Humans are too weak to handle it."

"Weak?" Ishizu asked, looking calm to anyone that didn't know her. Yugi and Ryou had only seen her angry once and that was enough to tell them not to make her angry. Energy started crackling around them and the earth beneath them began to tremble. "You call us humans weak? Then what are you, sir? You don't seem to possess much power."

Set didn't back down, growling at her. "I am someone that will show you your place, human. Don't think your little tricks will intimidate me. I am the priest of Pharaoh Yami's court, Priest Set, the most powerful priest he ever had."

Ishizu didn't even look impressed or scared. "Well, tell me, Priest…how come you're not aware of my brothers and sister surrounding us?"

"What are you-?" Set couldn't even finish his question as he felt a knife at his throat. He tried to break free of the man's grasp, but the man behind him was a lot stronger than he thought. Especially for a human…

"Are you okay, Ishizu?" Odion asked his sister.

"We're fine," she replied. "Where are Malik and Kisara?"

"They're watching from a safe distance," he told her. "They're ready to strike if they must and are keeping an eye out for anything suspicious."

She nodded, connecting her mind to her siblings' minds. _**Kisara? Malik? Can you hear me?**_

_**I hear you.**_ Kisara confirmed.

_**Same here.**_ Malik replied.

"Do you still consider us humans weak, priest?" she asked Set. "We might not be able to transform into powerful dragons like you and your comrades, but we're not without our own strengths."

"Indeed you aren't," he said. "Having a dragon to guarding you is indeed a strength to any family along with the humans knowing shadow magic."

"A dragon guarding us? We don't have a dragon guarding us," she told him.

"You don't know about your own brother?" he asked, pointing behind him at Odion. "This man is a dragon. I can sense it in him yet none of you were aware of it?"

Yami looked at the man holding Set, sensing it also. It was very faint, but he could sense the presence of a dragon in the man. The man looked shocked, unknowingly releasing Set. "How could you not know?" he asked.

Odion looked at his sister in shock and disbelief. "They're lying. I couldn't possibly be one of them. I was abandoned in the deserts of Egypt as a baby and Mrs. Ishtar found me and cared for me as though I was her own child. When I was five, my mother gave birth to Ishizu and found another baby abandoned in the desert, our sister Kisara. Then when I was twelve, she gave birth to our younger brother, Malik, and died after giving birth to him. I was a child when all of that happened. How can I possibly be one of you when you're the only ones left?"

"Because you're a descendant of a dragon family," a voice from behind him said.

Yami gasped as Shadi appeared from the shadows. "Shadi, what are you doing here?" He knew the enigmatic man only appeared for two reasons: every century to visit for a few hours or when something bad was going to happen.

And it hadn't been a hundred years since Yami last saw him.

Shadi didn't say anything as he stared at the man standing in front of him. He only lifted the Millennium Key that was hanging around his neck and pointed it at Odion. "A room in your soul needs to be unlocked. It's the only way you can properly protect your family and friends." Before anyone could say something or react, he was right in front of the man and stabbed him with the key.

"Odion!" Ishizu shouted as she watched in horror as her brother was stabbed. Light emerged from where the man had stabbed and surrounded them.

_**I'm taking that guy out!**_ Malik said as he began to prepare to cast a spell. Even from far away he could clearly see the man that had stabbed his brother.

_**Malik, you can't! You might hit Odion!**_ Kisara told him. She looked up at the sky, hearing thunder and that the clouds seemed to have a sinister appearance.

"Stop!" Yugi shouted as he ran at the man, but Yami held him back. "Let me go! How could you let him kill my friend!? Odion isn't one of you!"

"He's not dead," Yami told him calmly. "The key unlocks anything in a person's soul and can even alter a person's personality. He's unlocking the dragon deep in your friend's soul."

The light around them disappeared and Odion fell to his knees with his hand over his heart. He looked up at the man with wide eyes. "What did you do to me?"

_**Look out!**_ Malik shouted telepathically to his family and friends.

Yugi looked up at he saw a shower of knives coming down at them. Yami grabbed him and jumped away far enough to avoid them. But he saw that Ishizu and Ryou weren't going to make it in enough time. "Ishizu, Ryou, look out!"

Odion didn't even hesitate as he ran and pulled his sister to him. There was no way he was going to be able to save Ryou, but he would die protecting his sister at least. He felt something inside him clawing its way to be released. It couldn't be that they were right, could it? He didn't have time to wonder

Malik watched from far away as he saw the knives hit his brother in the back. A white flash had grabbed Ryou and pulled him to safety while everyone else had managed to get safely away. _**Odion!**_ He could see that once the rain of knives stopped that his brother had multiple of them in his back. He jumped off the tree he'd been standing on and ran towards his brother and sister. He knew Kisara was also running to them. _**Odion, you better not die! You can't die!**_

Yugi pushed himself away from Yami and ran to his friends. "Odion! Ishizu, are you okay?" He helped her get out from under her brother, seeing blood staining her clothes and on her face. "Is there anything we can do? I thought they said he was a dragon?"

Ishizu ignored him, helping her brother lay on the ground. "Brother…"

The older man didn't respond, struggling to breathe. He saw that some of the knives had pierced through him, but he thanked the gods that his sister wasn't hurt. "You're okay, Ishizu…"

Before she could respond, a sinister laughter came from behind them. Yugi glared at the man and stood in front of them. "Arkana."

The man bowed and smirked at him. "One of my many tricks. It's too bad he didn't know how to dodge a thousand knives. Though I'm surprised he didn't get hit in the head."

"Arkana!" Yami shouted, standing in front of Yugi and his friends. "What purpose does killing me serve? How will that bring Catherine back to you?"

The magician had a crazed look on his face. "Zorc said he would bring her back to me. As long as I bring back that boy." He pointed at Yugi. "If I bring him back then my Catherine will be back with me."

"You won't take him away," Yami growled, fighting off his transformation. The dragon inside was clawing for freedom, demanding that he let it free to protect their mate. "I will not let you harm him or his friends."

"It's too late for that," Arkana said, pointing at Odion. "That man will die soon if you don't do something. Those knives were covered in poison and it's very well into his bloodstream. He doesn't have much longer now."

Yami looked at the family. Ishizu and Kisara had managed to pull the knives out and were struggling to use their magic to heal him. Yugi was holding Malik back while Set was watching them. Even he knew that trying to save him would be futile. Mokuba and Noah just stood by, watching the sisters try to save their older brother. Shadi had disappeared again. And Ryou…Yami looked around, not seeing the white haired boy anywhere. Had he managed to escape?

"I see those women have some power in them," Arkana mused. "Perhaps I'll take them as well. Zorc does love ladies to visit him once in a while. And they have powers that'll certainly boost his energy."

"Keep your dirty hands away from them," Odion growled, glaring at the man as he shakily stood up despite his sisters trying to stop him. He pushed them back. "Both of you get Malik and the others out of here. I'll take care of this man."

"But Odion!" Kisara pleaded. She could sense the great power in him trying to get out. Her breath hitched when she saw his usually hazel eyes turn into a bright glowing green.

Ishizu grabbed her sister's hand. She could see that Arkana was summoning dragons to do his bidding and that they had to leave as soon as possible. "We won't be too far if you need us," she told him.

Malik managed to push himself free from Yugi and ran to his brother. "You're not leaving us, are you?" he asked. "You can't leave us, brother. You promised you would protect me from father if he came back."

Odion smiled at his brother and kissed his forehead. "I promise I'll come back, little brother. I won't let anything or anyone harm you and our sisters. Now hurry up and run as far away from here as possible. He's summoning dragons to fight and capture you and the others. I'll fight them off."

"May the gods watch over you, brother," Ishizu said then ran off with their siblings.

He watched them run and saw that the man with Yugi flew off with the boy, probably to take him somewhere safe. At least he knew his family and friends would be safe though they had yet to find Ryou. He could only pray that the boy was far away from this battle.

"Do you really think you'll be able to fight?" Set asked him as he stood to the side of him along with Mokuba and Noah. "This isn't a fantasy you're living. This is a real fight with beings that are legends in your time."

"I will do whatever it takes to keep my family safe," Odion calmly replied.

"It's been a while since we've transformed," Duke said as he walked up. "Didn't think we'd ever need to as time went by. It'll be refreshing to let my dragon out." His eyes went from green to a glowing red and smirked. "He's the only thing left in me that can feel anything."

Set allowed a small smirk to form as his deep blue eyes started glowing. "Good to know I'm the only one that _feels_ that way."

* * *

Yami flew Yugi to a cliff far away from the battle. "Stay here and don't draw attention to yourself. Your friends are heading here right now as we speak. I'll come back to get you when this is over." He kissed his cheek and hugged him close, inhaling his orchid scent. "Stay safe."

Yugi watched him fly away before he could say anything. He saw Ishizu and the others running towards him. "Are you guys okay? What about Odion?"

Malik looked away, blinking back tears. "He's staying to fight."

Before Yugi could say anything a white flash flew passed them and Ryou fell down next to them. "Ryou! Are you okay? What happened to you?" He could see the scared look on his friend's face and helped him stand. "You're not hurt, are you?" He looked at him, noting that his friend's lips looked at little…swollen? And his cheeks were red.

"I don't know," Ryou answered. "H-He said that I'm his and that if someone else touches me, h-he'll k-kill them. I don't even know who he is and he's acting p-p-possessive of me!"

"What are you talking about?" Malik asked him. "You mean one of them saved you and now claims you're his mate? Who the hell do these people think they are? First, one of them saves and claims Yugi now another one is claiming Ryou? Do they think we live in the Dark Ages or something?"

Yugi didn't say anything. While it was sudden that Yami claimed he was his mate, he'd seen firsthand what the pharaoh had gone through for the past two thousand years. It had been a very bleak existence, no colors and no emotions. The darkness inside that he fought off every day. He'd seen every memory and knew everything about Yami Atem. "You don't know what they went through, Malik. Yami let me see every little thing about him. He didn't want any secrets between us. Finding me has not only let him see colors and feel emotions again, but it has given him hope. Something he hasn't felt in a very long time."

Malik looked over at his friend then looked back to where his brother was. A loud roar was heard then he saw dragons floating near the area where Odion and those other men had been. "You've gotta be kidding me…its true? Odion is one of them?"

As though his brother heard, he saw the dragon with glowing bright green eyes look back at him then looked back. It had four large black wings and it was black and from where Malik could see, it had red feet with claws.¹

Another dragon was a light blue with large light blue wings² and another one that looked like it, but it had black wings and black on its head.³ A white dragon with large blades on its arms⁴ appeared as it flew in between a sea green dragon with four wings⁵ that was a little smaller than the rest of them and a dragon that looked black with red gem like orbs along the column of its neck from behind with its wings on what appeared to be its arms and two smaller wings lower on its body.⁶

But the one that held Yugi's attention was the large red dragon that was surrounding the other dragons. He saw the dragon turn its head to look at him and the others, showing that it had two mouths, yellow eyes, large red wings, and a blue gem like orb on top of its head.⁷ He knew that it was Yami. Despite its fearsome and frightening appearance, he knew Yami was in control. _**I trust you, Yami.**_

_**Thank you, Yugi.**_ Yami was glad that he wasn't afraid of him in this form. He looked back at Arkana who was summoning more dragons. The dragons weren't very powerful on their own, but in numbers like this, they could very do a lot of damage. And could do damage to Domino City if Arkana tried to attack it. _**Mahad, if you can hear me. I need you to set up a Field Spell. This area and Domino City can be greatly damaged if we battle.**_

_**Marik, Shadi, and I are on it. I hope the Mountains will be an appropriate place.**_ Mahad told him. _**The three of us will be there as soon as we can. Shadi said he will be staying here for a while.**_

_**Make sure that Yugi and his friends are transported to a safe area not too far from us. There's no telling if Arkana has more tricks up his sleeve and I want them safe. One of you will need to guard them.**_ Yami ordered. He was not going to risk losing sight of Yugi. Now he had something to lose, but he wasn't going to lose it.

"Dragons, attack!" Arkana ordered.

_**Here they come…**_Set said calmly, watching as an army of Koumori Dragons and Dragon Zombies flew towards them. Bakura didn't wait for the order and attacked before any of them could stop him.

Yugi watched from far away as he watched the other dragons fly out and started attacking. Most of them were attacking Yami, shooting dark energy blasts from their mouths or biting him somewhere. The large white dragon was slicing through his enemies with the blades on its arms. Odion was having the most trouble and Yugi knew it was him due to the fact that all of the other dragons weren't struggling like him. It was obvious that he wasn't trained the way Yami and the others were. "Oh no, look out, Odion!"

Odion turned around only to have something sink its teeth into his neck. He could feel the dragon ripping off pieces of his skin off. He howled as loud as he could already feel the blood spilling out of the wound and weakening from the loss. One of the other dragons pulled it off and blasted it with a fire blast. Duke grabbed him before he could fall. _**I need someone over here to heal him! He's losing blood fast.**_

_**I'm on my way.**_ Shadi told him.

"He's hurt," Malik said. "That dragon ripped his throat. We have to help him!" Before any of them could stop him, he jumped off the cliff and ran towards the battlefield.

"Malik, stop!" Ishizu said, jumping after him. She sensed that Kisara, Yugi, and Ryou jumped as well and were running not too far behind her. "Malik!" She ran into him when he suddenly stopped and looked up at the dragon that flying above them. She pushed him behind her.

"We're surrounded," Kisara said, pushing Yugi and Ryou behind her. "What do we do?" More of the dragons were surrounding them. "Ishizu, there's no way out."

"Then we stand and fight," Ishizu told her. "We're not without our own powers, Kisara." One of the dragons roared loudly and flew at them. "Here comes one!"

Ryou held his hand up towards the dragon. The dragon stopped at the last second right in front of his hand. "Attack," he ordered, pointing at the other dragons. The dragon turned around and started attacking the other dragons that were coming at him and his friends. Now he just had to focus on keeping that dragon in his control or it would turn against him.

Kisara and Ishizu dodged the dragon that dove at them. "Look out!" Kisara called out to her sister when a dragon was about to attack her from behind. Before it could reach her, a white dragon with red claws⁸ blasted it and stood in front of them. Another dragon that was a golden yellow color with six wings⁹ flew to the other side of them and swiped the enemy dragons away with its tail.

_**Don't move away from us.**_ A mysterious voice told them in their minds. Yugi knew it came from the yellow dragon and stayed close to his friends.

* * *

While the battle was happening, none of them knew of them of the four mysterious figures watching it from afar.

"Shouldn't we go there and help them?" a female asked. "We can't just leave them with those men, can we?"

"Mother didn't tell us to help them, not yet at least," the male standing next to her said. "They'll be safe with the pharaoh and his friends. It's the other four we need to worry about. They'll be vulnerable to any attack should Zorc find out about them."

The other female scoffed as she watched the Blue-Eyes White Dragon rip one of the enemy dragons apart as he shot an energy blast from his mouth. The white dragon was slicing the enemies in half with its blades on its arms. And the pharaoh was blasting them with energy blasts. "One of them is missing," she pointed out. "One of the twins, Set or Seto."

"Seto is with Joey," the other male said. "If Zorc ever finds out the truth, he'll go after him. I say act now before anything else happens."

The younger male hissed at him. "Just because you're older than me by one year doesn't mean you're in charge. Mother put me in charge cause you're too much of a hothead compared to me. We will not do anything until she tells us to. We're the secret trump cards that not even the pharaoh knows about. That's why Mother hasn't revealed herself to him or any of them. And that's why we need as little contact with them as possible. If they find out about us, then our enemy finds out about us."

His mate looked up at him. "We know. But if Yugi or any of our friends are in danger and the pharaoh can't save him, I'm going to risk getting caught. They've been good friends to us and I will not lose them."

"I know you won't," he said as he saw that Arkana disappeared and the battle was finally over. Bodies of Dragon Zombies and Koumori Dragons littered the surrounding area. "We should leave while we can. They'll spot us if we stay any longer." He saw his mate wasn't even looking at the battlefield, but at Yugi and the others, sighing in relief that they were safe. "Come on, we'll probably see them later."

She nodded and walked through the portal he created. The other male and female gave one last look at the battlefield and walked through it. He was the last one to walk through it. As soon as they were back in Domino, his phone rang. "Mother."

"Is everyone okay?" she asked.

"Yes. Yugi, Ryou, and the Ishtar family are with them right now. Odion was hurt badly, but I think they'll be able to save him," he explained. "But as for the others that aren't here…"

"We'll keep an eye on them," she said. "You four get back here right now before you risk anyone catching you."

"Alright," he said then hung up the phone.

* * *

Malik ran over to the dragon that was his brother. "Odion. Odion! Can you hear me?" he asked frantically, gently petting his head. "Please don't die."

_**I-I'm still here…**_Odion told him. _**I can't hold this form any longer.**_ He transformed back into a human and now Malik could see the extent of the damage done. The skin was torn off and he could see that his throat was badly damaged.

"Let me see him," a calm voice said.

The young Egyptian boy turned around to see Shadi standing behind him along with the dragons that were now human. "Please save my brother," he said quietly.

"I'll watch over him," Shadi said and picked Odion up. "You and your sisters can stay with one of my comrades. I will return with your brother in a week. An injury like this can take a few days to heal and recover."

Ishizu nodded, pulling Malik to her. "Do whatever you have to do to heal my brother," she said.

The older man nodded then flew away with Odion in his arms. Yami hugged Yugi close to him and buried his face in his hair. "Are you okay?"

"I'm okay," Yugi replied, hugging him back. He pulled away a little to see if Yami had any serious injuries, only seeing a few scratches and bite marks everywhere on his body. "You're hurt."

"This is nothing," Yami assured him, kissing his forehead. "Right now we need to keep you and the others here. They won't attack here since this is our territory."

Yugi looked around, now noticing that they were no longer near Domino City. He couldn't see the lights or anything. It was like they were at a different part of the world. "Where is "here" exactly? I don't see Domino City or anything."

"We're on an island," Yami told him. "It's a traveling island that we made with our magic in case we needed a safe place to stay. Shadi will be taking Odion to his area of the island so he won't be too far away from us. Your friends can stay with us. It'll be safer for them than going back home. Arkana knows they have magic powers and he'll come after them if they leave."

The younger boy nodded. "Okay, if you think that's best," he said quietly.

"Can we stay with that man that took Odion?" Malik asked.

Yami shook his head. "I'm afraid not. Shadi needs absolute concentration on healing his injuries and he can't afford to worry about you and your sisters' safety. You'll stay with me and Yugi. If you go home now, Arkana will be back."

"Wait a second," Malik said. "You mean to tell us that all those legends of the dragons are true? That you're the real Pharaoh Yami and that these people are your comrades? The ones that saved the world from the darkness?"

He nodded. "Yes. Those stories are true. You saw for yourself that we can transform into dragons."

"You guys need to find your soul mates to bring back the light that you gave up to save the world, right?" Ishizu asked. She looked at him and Yugi. "I can see why Yugi is yours, but what of your comrades, pharaoh? Have they found theirs?"

"No," he replied. "Mokuba and Noah were the last two to lose their sight of color and their emotions. The rest of us have been living in darkness since the battle two thousand years ago though we had to seal Marik and Bakura. The darkness in them was a lot stronger than we thought. Mahad was guarding them and the Millennium Items, but apparently it seems you and the others found them."

She touched the Millennium Necklace that was hanging around her neck. "My mother gave this to me before she died. We were the guardians of _your_ tomb, pharaoh. Our family has been guarding it for two thousand years and this necklace and the Millennium Rod are the signs that we are part of the family. My younger brother and I inherited these items like our father and mother before us."

"My tomb? I was not aware I had one," Yami admitted. "Why would your family dedicate themselves to guarding a tomb that I didn't know about?"

"Because they believed that one day you would return and fight the darkness once again," Kisara answered. "Ishizu and Malik are the rightful heirs to the Millennium Rod and the Millennium Necklace. Odion and I guard them because some people have come after them for those items. If you believe that Ishizu and Malik are in danger then we'll do as you say."

"Alright," he said. He looked over to where Bakura was, seeing the man pinning Ryou against a tree and kissing him feverishly. "Bakura! Let the boy go!"

The white-haired man didn't release and glared at him over his shoulder. "This boy is mine," he stated. "I won't let anyone take him from me, Yami. I've suffered in the darkness for two thousand years to save this wretched world and I will finally take my reward."

Ryou gasped, looking to Yami desperately for help. A part of him wanted to save the boy, but the other part didn't want Bakura to suffer either. He was right about suffering in the darkness for such a long time. But he knew that Yugi's friend was scared of him and that Bakura's personality would be overbearing at the moment. "Bakura, you have to understand that he's human. He's not like us and doesn't understand what's going on. If you take him away, he'll only get more scared and resist you. You have to give him time to adjust to all this. You're emotions returning will only overwhelm and cause him to collapse."

"What would you know?" Bakura sneered.

"He's an empath," Yugi told him. "He can feel other people's emotions and control them for a short period of time. If you don't calm yourself, he'll start feeling sick and might pass out."

Bakura looked at the small boy in his arms, indeed seeing that the pale boy looked sickly pale and was trembling as though he was struggling to stand. "Is what they say true?" he asked the boy. He saw the boy nod. He couldn't help but snarl at this. Two thousand years after giving up what little light he had left in him and this was his reward? A fragile human boy who would pass out if the emotions of those around him became too much? The gods must've been bored or really wanted to torture him when they created this boy as his soul mate. He pushed the boy away from him and walked away. The boy was his, but now that he knew this information, he wouldn't claim him. If it meant damning himself to the darkness, so be it.

Yugi ran over to his friend when he saw Ryou fall to his knees. "Are you okay, Ryou? Can you stand?"

"I'm fine," he answered. Though Yugi could see that he was obviously lying. He'd felt the anger and disappointment from the older white-haired man when he realized that he was an empath. Before that though, he'd felt nothing but…possession. The man hadn't looked at him with love. He'd looked at him like he was a slave to follow his every command.

"Let's get all of you to my home so you can rest," Yami said. "My comrades have probably left to their homes here. If you need anything, Mahad's home isn't too far." He transformed into his dragon form and lowered his head. _**Get on.**_

Yugi hesitantly got on along with his friends and gasped when Yami started flying. He held onto Ryou, who looked like he was going to pass out any second. "Are we close to your house, Yami? Ryou needs rest."

_**We're almost there. **_He told him. He landed near the mansion and lowered himself so that they could get off. He quickly transformed back into his human form in enough time to catch Ryou before he fell. "He must be really exhausted. I'll carry him to a room. You can all sleep wherever you're comfortable." He led them into the house and started walking up the stairs to the nearest guest bedroom and laid Ryou down on the bed. "Does this happen to him often?"

"Only if me, Ishizu, Odion, Malik, or Amane aren't with him," he answered, looking at his friend with concern. "But it must've been too late for us to help him if he already passed out."

Yami hugged him close as they walked out of the room. He saw that the Ishtar siblings had already claimed one guest bedroom. He could hear them talking, mostly worrying about their older brother. "Are you tired?" he asked Yugi. He could sense the weariness in his little light and see that he was fighting to stay awake.

"A little," Yugi admitted, fighting back a yawn. He noticed that he and Yami were now in a large bedroom with a large bed that looked far too comfortable at the moment. "Is this your bedroom?"

"Yes," Yami replied, gently nudging him to the bed. Yugi didn't really bother to fight back and laid down, kicking his shoes off. "You need rest, Little Light. This has been a tiring day for you and your friends. And this is only the beginning. I hope you don't regret…being with me."

_**I don't regret anything, Yami.**_ Yugi told him mind to mind. His eyes were already closed and his breathing was slowly becoming even. _**Thank you for saving me and my friends.**_

_**You're welcome.**_ Yami kicked his own shoes off and laid down next to his mate and pulled him close. He could enjoy these few hours of rest and just holding Yugi in his arms before he had to get up and fight again.

* * *

¹ Darkflare Dragon: Odion  
² Blue-Eyes White Dragon: Set  
³ Malefic Blue-Eyes White Dragon: Mokuba  
⁴ Magna-Slash Dragon: Bakura  
⁵ Different Dimension Dragon: Noah  
⁶ Chthonian Emperor Dragon: Duke  
⁷ Slifer the Sky Dragon: Yami  
⁸ Judgment Dragon: Shadi  
⁹ Prime Material Dragon: Mahad

Dragon forms were based on the show, appearances of characters, or random picking. I don't know which dragon belongs to Yugioh, GX, and whatnot. There's far too many to pick from. I choose the Malefic Blue-Eyes White Dragon for Mokuba due to him having black hair and the dragon having black in it.

I'm thinking about making this into a series. Like making this Yami and Yugi's story. Then maybe doing another couple in another story and so on. What do you think? Leave a review on your thoughts about it. Sorry for late update. Been working a lot and it's been a little crazy at home. I'll try to update faster.

Next chapter coming soon!


	6. Chapter 6

**Warnings**

Puzzleshipping - rated M  
Tendershipping - mentioned

Violence, blood, and mauling

* * *

"It's been two weeks since we last saw or heard from them. You can't tell me that something isn't up," Joey told Tristan as they walked out of class. "All of them have gone missing. Yugi, Solomon, Ryou, and Malik and his family. Something isn't right."

"Yeah, but what can we do?" Tristan asked. "It's only me, you, Amane, Serenity, and Téa and the others. And the older four of that group are always busy with work after class. Mikey and Rebecca are too busy taking care of their mother. So what can you, me, and the girls do? We don't have special powers like Yugi and the others."

Joey huffed, knowing that Tristan was right. The four of them didn't have special powers like their friends. And that was probably why their friends were hiding right now. "Do you think they're okay? Amane is really worried about Ryou. I don't think she's been able to sleep good since he went missing." Now that he mentioned her, he saw her sitting on a bench all by herself. It looked like she hadn't slept real well in a while. Her usually healthy looking pale skin was now sickly pale as if she looked like she was fighting to stay awake and she had dark circles under her eyes. He and Tristan walked over and sat on either side next to her. "You okay, Amane?"

She shook her head, not answering out loud. Tristan sighed, putting his arm around her shoulders and hugged her close. "We'll find them, Amane. Just be confident."

"I can't sense him anywhere," she said quietly. "I'm scared, you guys. What if he's danger? I can't lose him too…"

"Hey, you won't lose him," Tristan assured her. "Joey and I are gonna go look for them right now, starting with the woods outside of Domino. I remember your brother saying something that the Millennium Ring was leading him there. Maybe we'll find something there."

"Let me come with you," she pleaded. "I promise I won't get in the way and I'll do what you order if you let me come with you."

Joey and Tristan looked at each other over her head. Both of them didn't want her nearby if there was possible danger, but they knew she would only follow them along with Serenity. And that would put them in more danger. "Fine," Joey agreed. "But if something goes wrong and Tristan or me tell you and Serenity to run, you run and don't look back. Got it?"

She nodded. "Okay. I promise."

"Well, let's go see what we can find," Joey said, standing up.

* * *

Yugi was wandering around the mansion that they'd been living in since the attack. He and the others had been safe so far from any attacks. Odion was still recovering from his attack. The first three days had been hard on his family since they weren't allowed to see him, but now they could. They'd left a few hours ago to go be by Odion's bedside since he hadn't woken up yet. So that left him and Yami alone in the house…

He felt his face heat up at the thought. He'd never been attracted to anyone before Yami and now he couldn't stop some of the thoughts that were running through his head. Sure he'd seen others in relationships like Téa and Alister, Valon and Mai, and Mikey and Rebecca. But he'd never been in a relationship let alone kiss or even…

"Stop thinking about that, Yugi!" he scolded himself. Now wasn't a good time for him to have these thoughts. His grandpa was still missing. Arkana was still out there waiting to strike and Yami's enemies were still at large. He couldn't afford to have these thoughts. Even though wearing one of Yami's shirts that had his sandalwood scent on it was still haunting his mind.

"Are you okay, Yugi?" Yami was suddenly there, hugging him from behind. He couldn't help but smile at seeing Yugi jump in surprise.

"I-I'm fine," he answered, hoping he wasn't blushing. If Yami knew of the thoughts in his mind, he would probably think Yugi was some kind of pervert. He didn't need to be thinking of all that right now. He felt Yami's lips against his ear, trying his best not to shiver. "Is everything okay?"

"I can read your thoughts," Yami revealed. He saw Yugi's cheeks turn even more red and chuckled. "It's normal to have those thoughts, Yugi. You don't have to be ashamed of them. Soul Mates who haven't Bonded yet tend to have those thoughts more than those who are Bonded."

"What does that mean? Soul Mates? Bonded?" Yugi asked.

Yami rested his head on top of his head, looking at him through their reflection on the glass. "Soul Mates, it means that two people are meant to be together and there's no other person in the world for them. When dragons are born, they have to find their Soul Mate or they lose the ability to see in colors and feel emotions after a century or so. Most of the time if they don't find their Soul Mate by then, it means their Soul Mate is not alive. In some rare cases, their mate can be human. Even some humans have a Soul Mate out there though most of them don't know it."

"So the concept of Soul Mates is real," Yugi said quietly. "Most people think it's a woman's fantasy, but I see now that isn't the case. And what does being Bonded mean?"

"When a dragon finds their Soul Mate they have to Bond. Their life forces are combined and when one dies, the other will be able to feel it. They'll be able to stay connected with each other at all times. And it's one way to show others that they've been claimed," Yami explained.

Yugi couldn't help but blush as he asked his next question. "And…what do we have to do to be Bonded?"

The older man smirked and whispered in his ear. "Exactly what you think. I would have to bite where I want my Mark on you. The bite mark will eventually turn into my symbol and show others that I've claimed you."

The smaller boy couldn't help but shiver at his words. But it wasn't from fright. He could already feel his body slowly getting hard for Yami. It scared him yet at the same time it excited him. "What happens if you don't claim me?"

"You continue to live as a mortal and I remain immortal, unless I decide to give it up," he replied.

Yugi looked at him from the reflection in the window. "But if you become mortal, won't your powers fade away?"

The pharaoh nodded, kissing his forehead. "Yes. I will become a lot weaker in time should I become mortal, but I'm willing to make that sacrifice for you once this war is over."

Yugi turned in his arms to look up at him. "But you can't. What if the others still need you?"

Yami rested his forehead against Yugi's and closed his eyes. "I shouldn't be so selfish. I'm the leader of the dragons. And there's only a few of us left. But this is the only thing I've ever wanted for myself. Is it so wrong to be selfish this one time?"

The younger boy stood on his toes and kissed his cheek. "You're not selfish. I know everything about you and I know you've sacrificed a lot to save the world and your people. You told me that most dragons can't go pass a century without their mate and you managed to hang onto life for two thousand years. If anything, you deserve to be selfish once in a while."

"Be glad I'm not," Yami said quietly, tracing his finger along Yugi's soft lips.

Yugi gently nipped at his finger then blushed a little. "Why not?"

Yami didn't answer him, but instead grabbed him by the hips and lifted him up a little so that he could grind their hips together. He saw Yugi blush even more when he felt his hardness pressed against him. He looked straight into those amethyst eyes, letting him see the hunger that he felt. "Because if I decided to be selfish, I would claim you right now. Consequences be damned." Before Yugi could even respond, he brought their lips together and started kissing him heatedly. He knew he should've been gentler with his little mate, but two thousand years of having no light in his life made him feel like he was starving for it. He hoped Yugi wouldn't be too upset with him for being this rough, but he needed at least something to help satisfy this craving that he always felt whenever he thought of Yugi. He heard the smaller boy make a sound and pulled away. "Are you okay?"

"Why did you stop?" Yugi asked, looking up at him with those big amethyst eyes that looked so innocent and sexy at the same time right now. He was a little scared of where this was going, but he never let fear stop him from doing anything before and he wasn't going to let it stop him now. He wrapped his legs around Yami's waist and held onto his shoulders with his hands. "I…I want you, Yami…"

The pharaoh gasped as he heard those words and looked at him with wide eyes. "Yugi…you don't have to do anything-"

He didn't get to finish sentence since Yugi kissed him. _**I want you, Yami. Can't you feel what I'm feeling? I want this…I want you.**_

Those words sealed the deal.

Holding onto his precious mate, he used his superhuman speed to return to his room and gently threw Yugi on the bed. Seeing him look at him with those beautiful eyes that showed him how much Yugi wanted him and looking disheveled was almost too much for him. But he would be gentle. He wasn't going to be an animal and take him roughly. No, he would show him just how much he treasured him. He leaned down and kissed him gently while slowly removing their clothes. He nipped at the skin of his neck then slowly nipped his way down to his chest. He'd thought about leaving his Mark right there, but he had to make sure that Yugi would want to be Bonded first. But now wasn't the time to ask him of making such a commitment. That would be for later when they had time to discuss it. "Are you sure about this, Yugi?"

"I'm sure, Yami," he replied truthfully. "I-I've never done this…so I don't know what to do…"

Yami smiled down at him, tracing his finger along his cheek. "I've never done this either. But I promise to be gentle with you."

Yugi looked at him with wide shocked eyes. "Really?"

"Yes," he replied. "I never felt any desire for anyone, even before I lost my emotions. Only you have made me feel this way."

Yugi looked up at him, brushing his fingers through the hair that looked so much like his own. But this was a man who'd lost just about everything in his life. The place he once called home no longer existed, his comrades scattered and alone with no mate, and he had lost one of his dearest friends who died trying to save lives. He'd seen that Yami was ready to spend the rest of his existence alone. Giving up all hope that he would one day find his mate and living alone while fighting the darkness inside had begun to take their toll on him. If he could help take the weight of the world off his shoulders for a few minutes then he would do anything for this man. Yugi knew this was the one for him. "I'm ready, Yami."

Yami looked down at him for a few seconds then leaned down to kiss his forehead down to his lips. The younger boy was amazed that someone so strong was being so gentle with him. Those same lips kissed their way down to his collarbone as he started unbuttoning the shirt. He could see the blush tinting the pale skin all over his body. Once the shirt was off, he pulled his pants off along with his boxers, leaving Yugi bare for his eyes to see. The boy was small indeed, but Yami could sense the strength deep inside him. He saw Yugi shiver and smiled down at him. "You're beautiful, Yugi."

Yugi just looked at him with wide eyes, trying his best not to blush. "C-Can I see you?" he asked nervously. He'd never seen anyone naked. Sure he'd seen other men and even his male friends shirtless, minus Joey who always hid his body with t-shirts even when they went to the beach. But the first time he saw Yami without a shirt…he swore his face was about to burst. He gasped when he saw that Yami's clothes suddenly disappeared, leaving the man naked. His eyes trailed over his body, noting all the scars that were all over. A part of him wanted to know how he got each scar and another part of him was too afraid to hear the truth. He traced his finger along one scar that went across his torso. "Do you remember how you got this one?"

"From the final battle in our war against the darkness," Yami replied. "We were battling against our enemy, Zorc, and he managed to injure me." He felt Yugi's hand stop at his naval and sensed the hesitation in him to go any further. Then again, he knew Yugi refused to look down pass his torso. Before he could move his hand away, he grabbed it and moved it to his cock. The younger boy's breath hitched as Yami closed his fingers around it. "You don't have to be nervous, Yugi. My body is yours as yours is mine."

The smaller boy looked down to where his hand was. He knew Yami was bigger than him, but he didn't think he was _that_ big. He slowly moved his hand, hearing Yami moan as he stroked him. It turned him on even more to know that _he_ was the reason why Yami was moaning like this. He moved his hand a little faster, hearing a growl.

Yami pulled his hand away and held his wrists together above his head while he kissed him feverishly. He moved his hand to Yugi's lips, gently pressing three fingers into his mouth as he ravished his neck. "Get them wet. I don't want to hurt you, Little Light," he said. He groaned when he felt Yugi suck on the digits hungrily and let his hands free. Yugi held his wrist as he sucked, watching Yami kiss his way down to his naval. He stopped his actions when he felt Yami go lower and started sucking on his hardened length. The older man looked up at him as he slowly bobbed his head. Yugi's small hips would involuntarily thrust up as he continued to suck on Yami's fingers. The older man pulled his fingers away when he thought they were slick enough and pull away to look down at the younger boy. "Yugi, this is going to feel uncomfortable, but I promise I won't hurt you." He slowly inserted one finger inside him, making sure to keep an eye on Yugi's face to make sure he wasn't in pain. Once he got used to one finger, he inserted a second finger and started stretching him slowly.

"Yami, it hurts a little," Yugi admitted, trying to relax his body. But it felt weird to him and it was slightly painful having two fingers somewhere that he never bothered to explore. He gasped when he felt Yami press against something that made him see stars. He heard the older man chuckle and pressed against the spot again while still stretching him out with two fingers. "Yami!"

_Bingo._ Yami thought as he continued to stretch his Little Light out. Now that he was used to two fingers, he inserted the third and final finger. He saw tears fall from Yugi's eyes and kissed them away while scissoring his fingers inside him. "I'm sorry. It'll go away soon."

Yugi shook his head, moving his hips against the fingers inside him. Having never even touched himself, the sensations he was feeling was almost too much. "Yami," he moaned as he felt those long fingers press against his sweet spot. "I-I want you!"

Yami didn't hesitate and pulled his fingers out, positioning himself in between Yugi's legs. He would never forget the way Yugi looked at this moment. His eyes looked even brighter, his skin had a light sheen of sweat covering it, and his overall smaller appearance. All of this would be his. This boy who had looked into his mind and saw everything that he went through was willing to give him this little piece of paradise. "Yugi, are you sure about this? If you tell me to stop, I will try my best to. But I can't guarantee that I…"

"I've never been more sure about anything else in my life," Yugi told him, smiling brightly at him. He was a little scared, but he didn't want to stop. He knew if he didn't do this now, he might not ever agree to do it again.

Yami nodded, slowly thrusting inside the small body beneath him. He groaned at the tightness that surrounded his hard length. It took everything in him to not start pounding away into him like his body wanted. Yugi was digging his nails into his back and breathing heavily until he was all the way inside him. He looked down at him, seeing the faint flush on his cheeks. "Are you okay?" he asked, keeping still so that Yugi's body could adjust.

"Yes," Yugi gasped out. He shifted his hips a little and wrapped his legs around his waist. "You can move now."

Yami started moving, not thrusting too hard but moving a little faster as Yugi encouraged him. He knew if he thrust any harder then Yugi wouldn't be able to walk later. His Little Light was already going to be sore as it is. But those moans were driving him crazy and the tempting whispers his dragon kept saying didn't help. It wanted nothing more than pound into the boy beneath him and Mark him. And it also didn't help that Yugi's body was tightening around him to the point that he wanted to cum right now.

The younger one saw the battle in his eyes. Those beautiful ruby red eyes were slowly turning into the gold they turned into when he transformed. "Yami, it's okay. I can handle it," he assured him. "You don't have to hold back." The older man looked down at him with one red eye and one gold eye, seeing if Yugi was telling the truth. Yugi smiled up at him. "Just don't be too rough?"

Yami buried his face at the crook of his neck, inhaling his orchid scent as he started pounding into him harder and faster. Yugi screamed out loud in pleasure as his prostate was hit over and over again with each thrust. "Mine," Yami growled as he held Yugi's hips still as his continued his thrusting. His eyes turned gold and both he and the dragon felt like they were in paradise. Two thousand years of waiting was more than worth it now that Yugi was here. He wanted to keep this rhythm up and knew he could last for hours, but his mate wouldn't be able to handle much more of this. He started stroking Yugi's cock as he thrust even harder into him and made sure to hit his prostate with each thrust, loving the cries of pleasure Yugi let out.

"Y-Yami, I can't last-" Yugi wasn't able to finish his sentence and came in Yami's hand. His nails were digging into his shoulders, leaving little red marks and tightening his body around Yami's cock inside him.

Yami didn't last much longer. The feeling of Yugi's body shuddering around him was too much. He gave one final thrust and came inside him. He nuzzled Yugi's neck, sucking on it and left a small mark. It wasn't what he wanted, but right now, it was more than enough. He looked down at his mate, giving him a gentle kiss on the lips. "Are you okay?" he asked, making sure not to crush him with his weight.

Yugi gave him a heartwarming smiled and nodded. "I'm okay." He traced his finger along his brow bone. "Your eyes have gone back to normal."

The pharaoh nuzzled his hair. "I'm sorry about that. I hope I didn't scare you."

"You didn't," Yugi told him. "Was I o-okay?"

Yami smiled down at him. "You were perfect." He slowly pulled out of him and laid to the side, holding him close. "You should get some rest. You'll be very sore when you wake up. I'm sorry if I was too rough."

Yugi shook his head as he yawned. "You weren't too rough. I'll be okay…" The moment his eyes closed, he fell asleep.

Yami just looked at him for a while, watching him sleep peacefully. Never once in all these past two thousand years did he think he was going to find his Soul Mate. Yugi was truly a treasure that he would cherish for the rest of his existence. And now that Yugi willingly gave his body and heart to him, he knew he would never be able to let him go. And that anyone or anything who tried to take him away, may the gods have mercy on their souls because Yami wouldn't.

With that thought, he held his mate closer and closed his eyes to rest. Finally being able to dream for the first time in two thousand years.

* * *

Bakura was walking through the hall of Shadi's home, cursing the man for making him stay here. He could sense his would be mate here along with the family of that man who got injured in the fight. He still couldn't believe his mate was such a weak and pathetic human. Was it too much to ask for a mate that wouldn't faint from feeling too much anger? But the boy wasn't too hard on the eyes, despite their very much alike appearances. The boy was shorter and more slender than him. His eyes were bigger and rounder and his face looked softer.

And those lips…

He shook his head at that. He should've just let the boy die when that rain of daggers was coming down. At least then he wouldn't be _feeling_ disappointed and hopeless.

"Bakura, your mate is in the kitchen," Shadi told him from behind.

He growled. "Dammit, stop appearing out of nowhere like a ghost! Don't you ever get tired of being a freak?"

Shadi ignored his outburst. "Will you not claim the boy?"

"Hn, never," he said. "That boy is too weak. The boy can't even protect himself from emotions of anyone around him and will faint if they're too strong. What use is he to me?"

"That boy has suffered most of his life. Much like you," Shadi said calmly. "His mother was killed in an accident that almost took the life of his sister. His father no longer speaks to him. And he had no friends until a few years ago when he met Yami's mate."

"And? Is that supposed to make me feel sorry for him? He didn't lose his entire family," Bakura spat.

"No, he didn't. But that boy has been emotionally abused his whole life. His father continues to blame him for his mother's death. His sister has a slight limp in her walk ever since. Every time he sees her, he's reminded of their mother's death and that he could've lost his sister. Perhaps the gods made him for you so that you learn compassion."

"Compassion? Why would I need that? Emotions like that will only get me killed," he said and walked off. Sure enough, he could smell the sweet vanilla scent of his mate. The boy was sitting by the dining table and drinking a glass of water. It was obvious that he had a headache from the way he was shaking. How could this weakling be his? Why couldn't the gods have given him a stronger mate? The boy was not what he wanted.

While he was too busy wondering, Ryou could feel the anger coming from him. Shadi had given him a warning that Bakura was living in the house for now. Ryou was scared of him, but he felt that the man's anger was justified. He wouldn't even pick himself for a mate if he had the choice. He stood up from table and walked out. He wanted to get as far away as possible from Bakura. He just wanted to get far away from everyone right now. But he really wanted to get away from Bakura the most. Ryou felt horrible that he was the man's chosen mate. He felt like a failure that he wasn't strong enough to make him happy.

He sat outside, heading to the small flower garden. Now that he was far away from everyone, his headache was finally going away.

"You shouldn't be out here alone," a voice growled behind him. He turned around, seeing Bakura standing behind him.

He looked away. "I-I'm sorry," he apologized. "I just wanted some fresh air."

"Or did you want to get away from me?" Bakura sneered. "I know you felt my anger."

Ryou didn't say anything. What could he say? He ruined the man's life. Funny, he couldn't feel any emotions right now. "Why can't I feel your emotions?"

"I can shield myself from you," he said. "It doesn't take much energy."

Before he could say anything, he felt a wave of panic coming from the woods. And it wasn't until he heard a scream that he knew who it was. And that something bad must've happened.

All he heard was one word from a very familiar voice.

Serenity.

"JOEY!"

* * *

"I thought you said Kaiba was gonna tell you where Yugi was," Tristan said as they walked through the woods.

Joey sighed as he thought of the prick. "He lied. He just told me that Yugi was safe with his friend. But now we gotta find Ryou and the others too. Do you think something happened to them?"

"They're not dead," Amane said as she walked passed them. "I know Ryou and the others were here."

"How can you be so sure?" Tristan asked.

"I just know," she replied.

"You don't think something happened, do you?" Serenity quietly asked. This whole thing was scaring her. First Yugi and his grandpa went missing, now Bakura and the Ishtar siblings were missing.

Amane shook her head. "They're alive. I would've known if my brother was dead."

Joey continued walking with them. "Hey, there's a house up ahead," he pointed out. It was a big house, big enough to be considered a mansion. "Should we check it out? It could belong to Kaiba. Didn't you say you catch him walking to the woods, Tristan?"

Tristan nodded. "Yeah, but do you think he lives here? And why would he want Yugi anyways? I understand Yugi beat him as his own game, but that's no reason to go kidnap anyone."

The blonde boy shrugged as they continued to walk towards the mansion. "But it's always the people we least expect to do something like this. And Kaiba has enough money to-Whoa!" He looked at Amane as part of her arm disappeared. "What happened?"

"There was a portal of some sort here," she said calmly. "I opened with what little magic power I have. I can feel Ryou's presence in here. He's somewhere in there."

"Is going through a magic portal to some unknown place really the best idea? It's only four of us," Tristan said.

"We can't ask Téa and the others since they're always busy," Serenity pointed out. "And no one will believe us if we try asking for help."

"Good point," Tristan agreed. "Well, all in favor in going through this freaky portal raise your hand." He raised his hand and so did his friends. "Okay, then that's settled."

Amane was about to go through first until Joey stopped her. "Let me go first. If something happens, I'll just push ya back in." He walked through first, seeing nothing but trees surrounding them. "Great, more walking."

"You've got to be kidding me," Tristan as he walked through with the girls. "Please tell me you can sense your brother, Amane."

She nodded. "Yes, I know where he is. Just follow me." She walked next to Joey since he refused to let her walk ahead.

"Is anyone else feeling creeped out about this, or is it just me?" Tristan asked.

"I'm a little scared," Serenity admitted. "None of this is normal." She gasped when she heard something moving in the forest. "What was that? Did you guys hear that?"

"I don't know, but I'm not willing to find out," Joey said. "Let's keep going. Hopefully we find something." He heard the same moving in the forest and that it was coming closer to them. It looked like a tiger that had bandages wrapped around its body and half of the skin on its head was missing along with an ear¹. "Are you guys seeing this?"

Tristan pushed both of the girls back. "Seeing, just working on believing."

The tiger growled at them, getting ready to attack. Joey looked around, hoping to find anything that he could defend them with, but there was nothing. "Can you guys climb on the tree?"

"Only if the big kitty here waits for another minute," Tristan said.

Joey looked back at his sister then back at the monster. "You guys have about fifteen seconds…make it count." He started running away, knowing the beast would come after him. Sure enough, he heard it running after him. But there was no way he'd be able to outrun something like that. A heavy weight pushed him down from behind. He tried to roll away from it, but the tiger had him right where it wanted him. It brought its claws down on his chest, easily tearing through his clothes and skin and biting at his neck.

Serenity watched in horror as her older was being mauled by the tiger. Her brother didn't even look recognizable anymore. His throat had been ripped out, his chest and torso were being ripped open and had punctured wounds from it bit him. And his face had deep cuts. She jumped off the tree, ignoring Tristan and Amane. "JOEY!" Before she could even reach him, a bright blue blast shot the tiger down. She ran to her brother, kneeling next to him. "Joey! Please don't die!" she begged. Her heart wouldn't be able to take it. She didn't want her last sight of Joey to be of him being mauled. "Joey!"

Her brother didn't respond.

"What happened?"

She looked up to where the voice came from, eyes widening at who she saw. "Seto Kaiba?"

But he didn't say anything to her. All he could see was the bloodied body that was next to her. It wasn't until the wind blew and carried the faint scent of honey milk that he realized who it was.

And he didn't hear any of his comrades or his brothers appear. He didn't hear anything. All he heard was a faint and slowing heartbeat coming from Joey.

* * *

Okay! Another update! So sorry for taking a long time. Work has been kicking my butt and now school will be starting tomorrow. But I managed to get this done! So hurray! I will try my best to update ASAP but I can't make any promises. And I will go back and fix any mistakes later.

So, what do you think Seto will do now that Joey is like this? Think he'll claim him now? Or still leave him as he is? And what about Yami and Yugi? Finally glad to have a lemon scene? :)

Next chapter(hopefully!) coming soon!


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